Organizing the library

[arapahoepark]

So, I am curious for those with extensive physical libraries how do you organize your works? Dewey system? Mine is currently just a hodge podge of where I find room on the book shelf.

 

[ZackF]

Mine is currently just a hodge podge of where I find room on the book shelf.

Well done sir. I concur.

 

[Logan]

Commentaries and reference are their own section, then alphabetically by author for theological books. It is a bit of a chore to shift everything down when I get a new book by say, Archibald Alexander

 

[ZackF]

. It is a bit of a chore to shift everything down when I get a new book by say, Archibald Alexander

You know you don’t have to.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

OT commentaries, NT commentaries, both single and multi-volume, history, textual studies, PRC / RFPA, multi-volume theological works, concordances, Greek / Hebrew lexicons and word studies, English lexicons (from the compact OED and down), self-published books, Bible versions, poetry / literature, bound photo-copied out-of-print works, various sections of topical interest (i.e., Edersheim, Israel-Palestine, Creation science, etc), Christian biographical encyclopedias, — for starts.

Trinity / deity of Christ, cults and pagan religions (JWs / Mormons, Buddhism, Hindu, New Age, etc), Islamic studies, new unread need-to-be-read, Puritan Paperback collection, Biblical difficulties / Hard questions,

 

[Jack K]

I have a few shelves I can reach without getting up from my desk, and these contain books I refer to often. There are also areas for secular books and for children/parenting books. The rest of my books are mostly "organized" according to when in my life I acquired them. As I get new books, I add more shelves. I might move things now and then to keep collections together as I add to a series, but mostly I just know roughly where stuff is.

 

[Jim]

Chronological by author's birth up until 1900; then sections on systematics (Reformed Theology, Baptist Reformed Theology, and "modern" Theology). Then Bible study resources, commentaries, history, and classic literature.

 

[particularlybaptist]

I am the librarian at my church, and I use the Dewey Decimal System. I have found this book to be very helpful: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/a-classification-system-for-church-libraries-revised-P005717341

 

[RamistThomist]

True story: We had a lady from church visit our family. She saw my library and asked, "How do you organize your books?"

Me: I just throw them randomly on the shelf.

 

[alexanderjames]

Early church and medieval secrion. Reformers and Puritans section. (Relatively) modern cmmentary section (series together), systematic and biblical theology sections. History and biography is chronological. All sets I keep together. Random or general interest books are where I can find space.

But I've generally stopped buying now, and if I do get anything new it's usually digital.

 

[KMK]

What are these things you call "books"?

 

[Ploutos]

I have three young children. Books are sorted by financial/sentimental value in ascending order, and by ascending I mean spatially.

 

[J.L. Allen]

I just recently moved into my office at the church. I don't have a good order yet, but the overall is as follows: Bibles, Greek/Hebrew/Latin Bibles, commentaries, language studies and references, text criticism, systematics/dogmatics, systematic by loci, biblical theology, BCO/confessional and creedal material/church government/etc, preaching and interpretation, pastoral helps, and stuff to give away. I keep my history, philosophy, and apologetics at home, along with creative writing. Some of this is the ideal and still needs to be organized as such.

 

[Recipient of Grace]

I have only two sets in my physical library (although I have access to well-nigh unlimited stores of ebooks, more than I could read in a lifetime, thanks to people like @davejonescue); namely, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible (6 Volumes) and Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David (3 Volumes). Not many books do I own, but certainly some of the best.

 

[Andres]

Does anyone have some suggested online resources for keeping track of some type of library? Something that can both catalogue books and perhaps even allow folks to "check out" books?

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

I have three young children. Books are sorted by financial/sentimental value in ascending order, and by ascending I mean spatially.

So, Joyce Meyer is located on the bottom shelf?

 

[Eyedoc84]

By color. Much more aesthetically pleasing.

 

[Ploutos]

So, Joyce Meyer is located on the bottom shelf?

Yes, next to Beth Moore, Sarah Young, and Rachel Hollis. How'd you know?

 

[Recipient of Grace]

Does anyone have some suggested online resources for keeping track of some type of library? Something that can both catalogue books and perhaps even allow folks to "check out" books?

I use notes to keep track of my online library. Most of the following are available at either Archive or Monergism.

Commentaries:

CALVIN, John – Commentaries on the Old and New Testaments (22 Volumes)
HENRY, Matthew – Commentary on the Whole Bible (6 Volumes)
GILL, John – Exposition of the Old and New Testaments (9 Volumes)
POOLE, Matthew – Annotations upon the Holy Bible (3 Volumes)
CHALMERS, Thomas – Daily and Sabbath Scripture Readings (5 Volumes)
HALL, Joseph – Contemplations on the Historical Parts of the Old and New Testaments (2 Volumes)
KITTO, John – Daily Bible Illustrations (8 Volumes)
KITTO, John – An Illustrated History of the Holy Bible
ANONYMOUS – The Commentary Wholly Biblical (3 Volumes)

Collected Works/Sets:

ADAMS, Thomas – Works (3 Volumes)
AMBROSE, Isaac – Works (1 Volume)
BATES, William – Works (4 Volumes)
BAXTER, Richard – Works (23 Volumes)
BINNING, Hugh – Works (1 Volume)
BOSTON, Thomas – Works (12 Volumes)
BRIDGE, William – Works (5 Volumes)
BROOKS, Thomas – Works (6 Volumes)
BUNYAN, John – Works (3 Volumes)
CHARNOCK, Stephen – Works (5 Volumes)
CLARKSON, David – Works (3 Volumes)
EDWARDS, Jonathan – Works (2 Volumes)
FLAVEL, John – Works (6 Volumes)
GOODWIN, Thomas – Works (12 Volumes)
HEYWOOD, Oliver – Works (5 Volumes)
HOPKINS, Ezekiel – Works (3 Volumes)
HOWE, John – Works (8 Volumes)
MANTON, Thomas – Works (22 Volumes)
OWEN, John – Works (16 Volumes)
PAYSON, Edward – Works (3 Volumes)
REYNOLDS, Edward – Works (6 Volumes)
SHEPARD, Thomas – Works (2 Volumes)
SIBBES, Richard – Works (7 Volumes)
SMITH, Henry – Works (2 Volumes)
SWINNOCK, George – Works (5 Volumes)
TRAILL, Robert – Works (2 Volumes)

Sermons:

SPURGEON, Charles – The New Park Street Pulpit and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (63 Volumes)
VARIOUS PURITANS – The Morning Exercises at Cripplegate (6 Volumes)

Systematic Theologies:

CALVIN, John – The Institutes of the Christian Religion (2 Volumes)
BRAKEL, Wilhelmus à – The Christian’s Reasonable Service (4 Volumes)
GILL, John – A Body of Doctrinal Divinity
BROWN, John – The Systematic Theology of John Brown of Haddington
AMES, William – The Marrow of Sacred Divinity
HODGE, Archibald – Outlines of Theology

Individual Titles:

ALLEINE, Joseph – An Alarm to the Unconverted
ALLEINE, Joseph – The Precious Promises of the Gospel
ALLEINE, Richard – Heaven Opened
ALLEINE, Richard – Instructions about Heart-Work
ASTY, Robert – A Treatise of Rejoicing in the Lord Jesus in All Cases and Conditions
AUGUSTINE – The Confessions of Saint Augustine (Translated by Sheed)
BAKER, Sir Richard – Meditations and Disquisitions upon Certain Psalms
BAYLY, Lewis – The Practice of Piety
BOLTON, Robert – General Directions for a Comfortable Walking with God
BOLTON, Samuel – The True Bounds of Christian Freedom
BURGESS, Anthony – The Extent of Original Sin in Every Faculty of the Soul
BURROUGHS, Jeremiah – Gospel Fear
BURROUGHS, Jeremiah – Gospel Remission
BURROUGHS, Jeremiah – Gospel Worship
BURROUGHS, Jeremiah – Irenicum: To the Lovers of Truth and Peace
BURROUGHS, Jeremiah – Moses’ Choice
BURROUGHS, Jeremiah – The Evil of Evils
BURROUGHS, Jeremiah – The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
BURROUGHS, Jeremiah – The Saint’s Happiness
CASE, Thomas – A Treatise of Afflictions
CASE, Thomas – Mount Pisgah
COLES, Elisha – A Practical Discourse of God’s Sovereignity
COLQUHOUN, John – A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel
CRISP, Tobias – Christ Alone Exalted (2 Volumes)
CULVERWELL, Ezekiel – A Treatise of Faith
DENT, Arthur – The Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven
DOOLITTLE, Thomas – Love to Christ Necessary to Escape the Curse of His Coming
DOWNAME, John – A Guide to Godliness: A Treatise of a Christian Life
DOWNAME, John – A Plea for the Poor
DURHAM, James – A Practical Exposition of the Ten Commandments
DURHAM, James – Christ Crucified (2 Volumes)
EDWARDS, Jonathan – Charity and Its Fruits
GILPIN, Richard – A Treatise of Satan’s Temptations
GOUGE, William – Domestical Duties
GURNALL, William – The Christian in Complete Armour
GUTHRIE, William – The Christian’s Great Interest
HENRY, Phillip – Christ All in All to Belivers
HOWIE, John – The Scots Worthies
HOOKER, Thomas – The Poor Doubting Christian Drawn to Christ
HOOKER, Thomas – The Soul’s Preparation for Christ
KEMPIS, Thomas à – The Imitation of Christ (Translated by Stanhope)
MATHER, Cotton – Essays to Do Good
M’INTYRE, David – The Hidden Life of Prayer
MARSHALL, Walter – The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification
NESS, Christopher – An Antidote Against Arminianism
PEARSE, Edward – The Soul’s Espousal to Christ
PURVES, Jock – Fair Sunshine
RANEW, Nathanael – Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation
ROGERS, John – A Treatise of Love
ROGERS, Timothy – A Discourse Concerning the Trouble of Mind and the Disease of Melancholy
RUTHERFORD, Samuel – Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself
RUTHERFORD, Samuel – Eighteen Quaint Sermons
RUTHERFORD, Samuel – Fourteen Communion Sermons
RUTHERFORD, Samuel – The Covenant of Life Opened
RUTHERFORD, Samuel – The Letters of Samuel Rutherford
RUTHERFORD, Samuel – The Trial and Triumph of Faith
RYLE, John – Holiness
SCOUGAL, Henry – The Life of God in the Soul of Man
SCUDDER, Henry – The Christian’s Daily Walk
SEDGWICK, Obadiah – The Anatomy of Secret Sins
SEDGWICK, Obadiah – The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant
SEDGWICK, Obadiah – The Doubting Believer
SEDGWICK, Obadiah – The Humble Sinner Resolved What He Should Do to Be Saved
VARIOUS PURITANS – A Complete Collection of Farewell Sermons
VENNING, Ralph – The Sinfulness of Sin
VINCENT, Thomas – The Shorter Catechism Explained from Scripture
VINCENT, Thomas – The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ
WATSON, Thomas – A Body of Divinity
WATSON, Thomas – A Divine Cordial
WATSON, Thomas – Discourses on Important and Interesting Subjects (2 Volumes)
WATSON, Thomas – The Christian Solider
WATSON, Thomas – The Doctrine of Repentance
WATTS, Isaac – A Guide to Prayer

Compared to what some of you guys have on Logos, this is quite modest.

 

[Osnah]

I can't just throw my books on the shelf. I have to have some organization process, but as I have run out of room I have to get creative. That unfortunately means that I may have to get rid of some books.

I generally have a section for: Bible References (Commentaries, Dictionaries, etc.), Theological Books, Church History, World History, Philosophy, Classical Literature, Technical books (I am in the IT field), and a few 'nerd books'.

Does anyone have some suggested online resources for keeping track of some type of library? Something that can both catalogue books and perhaps even allow folks to "check out" books?

I used Handy Library on the phone (Android). https://www.handylibrary.com/

 

[arapahoepark]

Does anyone have some suggested online resources for keeping track of some type of library? Something that can both catalogue books and perhaps even allow folks to "check out" books?

So, I did some research after posting this looking for the exact same thing.
While HandyLibrary was mentioned, it's not exact what I want. I found LibraryThing which is also an app. You can scan your books and you can organize it by Dewey or the Library of Congress cataloguing system. I am going to use that and see if it helps.

 

[Logan]

I was going to mention LibraryThing as well. I used it a while back.

 

[TheMantis]

I don't know if it has a name. I tend to group authors together. As well as, have a shelf for commentaries, dictionaries, surveys, etc. Volume sets have their own shelf; my Puritan collection has one, self-help, theology-heavy books, Nonfiction, and a shelf designated for Bibles.

 

[Ed Walsh]

Chronological by author's birth up until 1900; then sections on systematics (Reformed Theology, Baptist Reformed Theology, and "modern" Theology). Then Bible study resources, commentaries, history, and classic literature.

That system is very interesting to me. I never thought of it, and I never heard of it before. Surely the chronological order of the best authors is also a history of the Church. What a wonderful idea.

 

[Ed Walsh]

By color. Much more aesthetically pleasing.

That describes my library to the tee. Sitting now next to a river worshipping the God who loves me, a flash of slipcovers of Flavel and Owen are like flashbulbs going off in my head.

An Aside:
About 10 years ago I switched to electronic because of failing eyesight, and began giving away most of my paper books.

Although I miss the feel, and particularly the smell of an old book, I am glad I made the switch. When and if one can get used to electronic, the possibilities and speed at which you can find related resources is amazing. But that smell of a book printed in 1750 is something I hope I never forget.

 

[pastorgrumbles]

Does anyone have some suggested online resources for keeping track of some type of library? Something that can both catalogue books and perhaps even allow folks to "check out" books?

librarycat.org