Book Organizing Tips: How to Declutter Your Collection – Bee Organized
Better Book Organization: How to Declutter and Organize Your Book Collection

Better Book Organization: How to Declutter and Organize Your Book Collection

by Kristen Christian in Buzz Tips

If you’re a book lover, you know how quickly a few favorite reads can turn into overflowing shelves, stacked nightstands, and books you forgot you even owned.

Building a book collection is easy. Keeping it functional is the challenge.

Better book organization doesn’t mean getting rid of books you love or organizing your shelves according to someone else’s rules. It means creating a collection that fits your current life—deciding which books to keep, how to declutter books without regret, and how to organize books at home in a way that feels both beautiful and practical.

Whether you’re organizing a small bookshelf or managing a growing home library, a few thoughtful decisions can help your collection feel less cluttered and more enjoyable to use.

Read on for Bee Organized’s best strategies for decluttering books, organizing bookshelves, and creating a book collection you truly love.

There Are No Rules For Organizing Books

The most important rule of book organizing is that there are no rules.

You don’t need to organize your books like the library does, like your local bookstore does, or like your mom does. Organizing your books is deeply personal, and what works beautifully for one reader may feel frustrating for another.

Every book in your home arrived for a reason.

Maybe 20 years ago, you loved the author. Maybe you inherited a collection from someone special. Maybe you bought a stack of parenting books or cookbooks that you swear you’ll get to eventually.

Books carry stories beyond the pages themselves—and that emotional connection matters.

Deciding Between Value, Function, and Display

Before organizing your bookshelves, ask yourself one simple question:

What do you want your collection to do?

If you frequently revisit books or need to find specific titles quickly, functionality may matter most. If your books mostly serve as décor and inspiration, aesthetics may lead your decisions.

Many people land somewhere in the middle.

There’s no wrong answer—only the answer that supports your space and habits.

Let Your Collection Reflect Your Current Life

Sometimes we hold onto books because of who we used to be. Books connected to old hobbies. Aspirational reading lists. Topics we thought we’d eventually explore.

Give yourself permission to organize for your life now.

That doesn’t mean letting go of every unread book—but it does mean asking whether your shelves reflect your current interests, values, and routines.

Once you know what role your collection plays, you can decide which books deserve shelf space.

How to Declutter Books Without Regret

If you realize you have more books than you want or need, it’s officially time to let some of them go.

Decluttering books doesn’t mean rejecting reading or minimizing your collection—it means making room for the books and spaces that serve you best.

If sorting feels overwhelming, remember that our professional organizers have a tried-and-true process for making decisions like these: The Power Purge.

Decide Which Books Earn a Place in Your Collection

As you sort through your shelves, consider:

  • Is this a favorite I return to?
  • Is this a reference book I actually use?
  • Does this book hold meaningful memories?
  • Will I realistically read this?

You do not need to keep books because you spent money on them or because you think you should read them someday.

Books that make you feel guilty deserve another chance somewhere else.

Give Books a Second Life Instead of Throwing Them Away

For many book lovers, throwing away books feels impossible—and thankfully, there are better options.

Some of our favorite alternatives:

  • Little Free Libraries: Drop off books and discover new ones while sharing with your community. Find the closest location to you using the library locator map.
  • Public Libraries: Many libraries accept gently used donations or hold book sales to support programming.
  • Book Drives and Nonprofits: Schools, charities, and literacy organizations often welcome donated books.
  • Friends and Family: Sometimes the perfect home for a book is someone you already know.

Giving books a second life can feel just as rewarding as bringing them home in the first place.

Now that you’ve edited your collection, it’s time for the fun part: organizing.

How to Organize Your Books: Organization Styles for Every Reader

There’s no universal book organization system. Choose the method that supports how you use and enjoy your books.

Organize Books by Topic or Genre

If you like browsing and rediscovering books, organizing by category may work best.

Try sections for:

  • Fiction
  • Nonfiction
  • Travel
  • Gardening
  • Memoirs
  • Cookbooks

This method makes collections feel approachable and easy to navigate.

Organize Books Alphabetically

Large collections often benefit from alphabetical organization. You can organize by author's last name or by book title, depending on which system feels easier to maintain. This approach makes locating specific books much faster.

Organize Books by Color

If visual impact matters most, organizing by color can create beautiful shelves.

Arrange books in:

  • Rainbow style
  • Tone-on-tone
  • Grouped color blocks

This method prioritizes display over retrieval, making it a great choice if you want your shelves to feel decorative, curated, and visually striking rather than strictly functional.

Organize Books by Size

Sometimes your shelves determine the system. If you’re working with built-in bookcases, narrow shelves, or a mix of oversized and small books, your space may naturally guide how you organize your collection. In that case, choose a method that fits the shape and size of your shelves first, then adjust your categories from there.

Separating books by height or format can:

  • Maximize storage
  • Create visual balance
  • Reduce awkward spacing

Choose the method that feels easiest to maintain, because once your books are organized, small styling decisions can elevate the entire shelf.

4 Simple Book Organization Ideas To Spice Up Your Shelves

Beautiful bookshelves aren’t about perfection—they’re about balance.

1. Use Vertical Space Creatively

When most people picture bookshelves, they imagine one long horizontal row of books—and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if shelf space is limited, try changing the rhythm.

Mix traditional upright rows with small horizontal stacks to break up visual heaviness and create more usable space. Horizontal stacks can also act as natural bookends or platforms for displaying smaller decorative items.

2. Leave Breathing Room

You do not need to fill every inch of shelf space.

One of the easiest ways to make a bookshelf feel calmer and more curated is to intentionally leave a little space between sections. Use bookends, create small gaps, or stagger stacks so your eyes have places to rest.

If your shelves feel crowded or chaotic, removing just a few books can sometimes make a bigger impact than reorganizing the entire collection.

3. Mix Books With Personal Objects

Bookshelves can become some of the most personal spaces in your home.

Instead of treating your shelves as pure storage, weave in objects that make you smile:

  • Framed photos
  • Small plants
  • Artwork
  • Travel souvenirs
  • Meaningful keepsakes
  • Decorative bowls or boxes

The goal isn’t to create a showroom—it’s to create shelves that feel collected, lived in, and reflective of the people who live there.

4. Rotate Your Collection Over Time

One of our favorite reminders: you do not have to display every book you own all at once.

If shelf space is limited, consider creating seasonal rotations. Store books you rarely revisit and swap them out throughout the year. You might display cozy reads in winter, travel books in summer, or rotate based on current interests.

This approach keeps your shelves feeling fresh without requiring you to part with books you still enjoy owning.

Your books should support your everyday life, not overwhelm it.

Build a Book Collection That Works for You

At the end of the day, your books should feel like a source of joy—not pressure.

There’s no perfect number of books to own and no universally correct way to organize them. You can edit your collection, adjust your systems, and create shelves that reflect the life you live today.

And if you need help organizing your books—or any other space— reach out to your closest Bee Organized location. Bee Organized is here to help you create systems that feel peaceful, functional, and sustainable for years to come.

Previous Post Next Post

Related Posts

This NOT That: Products Our Professional Organizers Love and Loathe

This NOT That: Products Our Professional Organizers Love and Loathe

When people are overwhelmed with clutter, they sometimes think that purchasing a set of matching crates or baskets will magically solve their problems. But not every product is worth your hard-earned cash, and not every organizing hack you see on TikTok actually makes sense in the real world. In this blog, we’re bringing you time-tested organizing products and strategies that our Bees across the country stand by—and calling out those things that you should leave behind! But First: PURGE! One of the biggest mistakes people make when they are tackling a home organizing project on their own is to run to the nearest box store and buy a trunkload of organizing products. Oh, honey, don’t do it! It’s a waste of time, money, and energy to buy products before you take the time to purge. We’ve talked you through our Power Purge to help you break through the organizational paralysis that often sets in. When you are organizing any space, whether it’s your bedroom, garage, or back-yard, you absolutely must start with getting rid of the excess. Once you are down to just the items you intend to keep, then it’s time to figure out exactly what kind of storage products will best fit. Purge first, then purchase (or reuse what you already have!). Choose Individuals, NOT Sets Whether we are talking about baskets, containers, organizing trays, or crates, there is virtually no chance that your home’s needs exactly match the items sold as a set. What you end up with is bins or trays that don’t line up with the shape, size, or number of items you own. You also end up with even more clutter—this time in the form of extra containers or trays from the set that you don’t actually need. Instead of buying sets, choose individual pieces that fit the items you are planning to contain. Have we mentioned how important it is to purge and sort before you buy any organizing products? Choose Adjustable Risers, NOT Fixed Risers When our professional home organizers redesign a pantry, we love using shelf risers so that everything is visible—we like to call it stadium seating for cans! Cabinet risers can be wonderful, but not if you get the ones that don’t extend. Make sure you measure your cabinets and find risers that can extend to the entire length. Otherwise you’re just creating a space where things will be harder to find as items fall off the sides. Choose Turntables with Removable Inserts, NOT Fixed Turntables You’ve heard us heap praise on the humble Lazy Susan in the past, but not all turntables are worth their weight. When you are selecting your turntable, make sure that if it is divided into sections, either those dividers are removable/adjustable, or you are SURE that the fixed dividers fit whatever you intend to store in the turntable. Choose Matching Hangers, NOT Cascading Hangers Cascading hangers seem like a great idea. People buy these to save space, but they end up causing trouble because they are bulky and make clothes harder to see. Ultimately, most folks stop bothering to hang items on them at all. Instead of putting money into cascading hangers—or any other kind of gimmicky hanger—put your money into buying matching velvet or acrylic hangers. Not only do they save space, but they transform your closet into your own boutique with minimal cost! Choose Single Hooks, NOT Mounted Hook Panels When you are organizing a space that would benefit from installing hooks, we recommend that you look into purchasing single Command hooks rather than a panel with the hooks already mounted on it. That way, you can choose the numbers, style, and spacing between hooks to better match your individual needs. And best of all—they are removable if you need to edit your decision! Choose Adjustable Drawer Organizers, NOT Rigid Trays Drawers come in all shapes and sizes, and no two homes have the exact same configuration of spatulas, serving spoons, and random kitchen gadgets. When you think of it like that, how would it make any sense to buy a cookie-cutter drawer organizer? There are so many great drawer organizing products and options out there that can expand and be reconfigured based on the dimensions of your drawer and the shape and size of the items you are attempting to fit inside. Did you remember to purge first? No one needs multiple potato mashers, we promise. Choose Bins, NOT Toy Chests Toy chests can be so darling to look at and can really tie a room together. But if you’ve ever actually owned a toy chest, you know they are a black hole for toys. Anything that sinks to the bottom of that pile of plastic is unlikely to see the light of day anytime soon. And if you’ve ever cleaned out a toy chest, you know they are a great place for dust, pet hair, and goldfish crackers to collect. When our professional organizers tackle a playroom or child’s bedroom, we usually use open bins or cubes in a bookcase. You can divide by general categories (LEGO, Hot Wheels, art supplies, etc.) so that items are easy for kids to find but are even easier for kids to put away. We’ve written before about how to help kids develop their own organizational skills and this is a great way to start! Choose Shelves and Dividers, NOT Hanging Closet Organizers We’ve tried using hanging closet organizers and they rarely work for most people’s needs. It’s difficult to see into them, so items regularly get shoved to the back and forgotten. After a few months, they are still hanging out in the closet taking up space, but the owner is just using them to store the stuff they should have purged in the first place. Instead, opt for closet organizing products with a fixed shelf (even a simple bookshelf will do) and with acrylic shelf dividers to keep everything organized, visible, and accessible. Choose Single Hat Hangers, NOT Hat Organizer Sets We love the look of hat organizers, but what are the chances that a panel with a pre-set number of hooks will match the number of hats you have now or next year? Instead of hat racks and hangers, opt for packages of individual hat hooks. You can space them in a way that works for your assortment of hats as well as the wall you are placing them on, plus you can easily expand or contract the collection as needed in the future. Choose Restockable Staples, NOT One-Time Finds We understand the impulse to grab a couple of cute baskets at HomeGoods to help you with an organizing project at home or work. But when the Bees professionally organize a space, we try to think ahead so that the system we are putting in place will be able to adapt to future needs. Part of that is purchasing the best organizing products that we know we will be able to find again in the future if we need to add more or adjust the sizing. We absolutely love the Everything Organizer line of products that can be found at The Container Store (and NO, we aren’t getting any kickbacks for mentioning their products by name!). They come in an extensive range of shapes and sizes, are durable and affordable, and you can clearly see what you have! Choosing the best organizing products is an investment in maintaining the systems that you are putting into place. But for them to be effective, they need to be adjustable and individualized to suit your unique needs. If you feel stuck in any part of the process—from undertaking the Power Purge to selecting the right organizing products, reach out for help. Our Bees are standing by to help you simplify your hive!

Learn more
Sunday Reset Tips: As Featured in Hello Nanny

Sunday Reset Tips: As Featured in Hello Nanny

At Bee Organized, we know that creating a well-functioning home often goes beyond organizing. That's why we're proud to partner with Hello Nanny!, a trusted resource for connecting families with exceptional nannies and in-home support. Our partnership is built on a natural connection: organized homes help new caregivers and household professionals settle in faster, and the right support helps families maintain the systems that keep a home running smoothly. Together, we help create the systems that set families, and the people who support them, up for success. Hello Nanny! recently featured insights from Bee Organized Co-Founder Kristen Christian on creating a simple Sunday Reset that helps families start each week feeling prepared instead of overwhelmed. From reducing decision fatigue to creating smoother mornings, these small habits can make a big difference. Read the full article linked here.

Learn more
Closet Organization 101: 4 Simple Steps to a Stress-Free Wardrobe

Closet Organization 101: 4 Simple Steps to a Stress-Free Wardrobe

We’ve all experienced that wardrobe paradox when we stare into a completely packed closet, and then realize we have nothing to wear. That subtle wave of anxiety isn’t really about the clothes. It’s about the emotional weight they carry. Because our wardrobe acts as the daily armor that we wear out into the world, our closets can turn into a storage locker for hidden feelings. We hold onto guilt about an expensive price tag that is still hanging on an item, or shame about clothing that no longer fits our current bodies or lifestyles. You deserve a space that reflects who you are right now, not who you were five years ago. When you clear out the clutter, your closet transforms from a source of stress into a curated boutique that inspires confidence and makes picking an outfit stress-free. It’s time to get your wardrobe back in alignment with your fabulous self—and knowing how to organize clothes in a closet is the first step! 1. Get Your Mind and Space Ready Before you pull a single hanger off the rod, you need to prepare your most important tool for this work—your mind! When you’re organizing a clothing closet, the majority of the work you’ll be doing is decision-making. Pick a time when you are feeling fed-up with the clutter and ready to be decisive. Before you begin, you also need to make sure you have the space ready for action. Clear off your bed to use as a staging area and grab some sturdy trash bags for donations. Then, turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and get to work! 2. Edit Your Wardrobe: The Power Purge If you want to clear out your closet like a professional organizer, you’ll need to take EVERYTHING out of your closet. As you move your clothing to the bed, sort each piece into broad categories (jeans, dresses, short-sleeve shirts, etc.). The most important step in a closet cleanout is, without a doubt, the purging! If you reorganize your closet without getting rid of the excess, you are missing the point. You want to clear out the clutter to make space for what matters to you today and in the near future, so that every time you open your closet, you only see those items that fit well, that make you feel confident, and that deserve to take up space. In Bee Organized’s famous Power Purge, we invite you to ask yourself three critical questions about every item in your closet: Does This Item Make Me Happy? You have permission to let go of clothing items that you are holding on to just because you think you should. If an item makes you feel guilt, shame, or frustration, why not get it out of your space? If the clothing item makes you feel happy, confident, comfortable, sexy, polished, or any other feeling that you like to feel, keep it! Is This Item Useful Now or In the Near Future? Just like with the first question, if the answer is YES, keep the item. Easy peasy. But if you haven’t worn an item in years because it’s too itchy, doesn’t fit quite right, is not a good color on you, or is no longer in style, now is the time to let it go. Be honest with yourself. Just because you liked or wore the item during one season of your life doesn’t mean the item should be taking up space today. Is This Item Valuable or Irreplaceable? In some cases, you’ll find items in your closet that don’t make you happy and you aren’t planning to use, but the item is worth a lot of money or is one-of-a-kind. All this means is that you might want to take more care if you decide to part with the item. Perhaps you want to give it to someone who will love or use the item, or perhaps now is the time to finally sell it on Poshmark or ThredUp. Just because something is valuable does not mean you are automatically required to keep it in your closet (or anywhere else in your home)! In addition to purging your clothing, you also need to remove the items that don’t make sense to store in your closet. Can you find another place to keep your wrapping paper, winter boots, or extra bed pillows? 3. Organize Like a Professional After you’ve bagged up and set aside the clothing you are ready to part with—(can you hear us cheering for you?)—you get to think about how to organize your remaining items in a way that makes sense for you, your clothing, and the size and shape of your closet. Here are a few tips: Invest in Matching Hangers We don’t typically advise you to buy a bunch of different organizing projects to tame your clutter. But we do BEElieve in the power of matching hangers to transform your closet! Keep Similar Items Together Think about your closet as your own boutique or mini department store. Keep similar items together and keep those things you use the most in the easiest-to-access spaces. How you categorize your clothing will depend on the unique needs of your climate, occupation, and style, as well as the shape and size of your closet. Once your categories are established (sleeveless, short-sleeved, long-sleeved, sweaters, etc.), try arranging them in rainbow order! It not only looks great, but it also can help prevent you from buying duplicates. Use Vertical Space No matter the size of your closet, think creatively about how you can make vertical space work for you. For your closet reorganization to work well, you need to be able to quickly see what you have that’s clean and ready to wear. Think about using top and bottom shelves, adding hooks, and using the back of the door for extra space. Be Wary of What You Stack Stacking folded clothing on shelves or in drawers is a recipe for toppling towers! Consider rolling clothing, using baskets or bins, or even filing folded clothing items side-by-side vertically like folders in a filing cabinet. Raluca Sharma, owner of Bee Organized Southwest Austin,recommends using shelf dividers to keep clothing stacks in their places. Try the Backwards Hanger Trick When you place everything back into your closet after your purge, put all of the hangers in backward. When you wear something and it comes back through the laundry, hang it up the regular way. At the end of a year, you’ll see which clothes you actually wore and which are just taking up space. Once you’ve got everything put back into place in a way that works well with your current lifestyle, you need to make a proactive plan for maintaining your good work! 4. Maintaining the Hive A beautifully organized closet is a victory, but keeping it that way requires a few simple, sustainable habits. To keep the chaos from creeping back in, you can try a few of our favorite tricks: Reset your closet weekly. Take five or 10 minutes each week to make sure clothes are in their right spots, shoes are put away, the floor is clear, and extra hangers are hanging out together. Keep a donation basket or bag handy. You know the cycle. You pull something out of the closet to wear, try it on, decide it’s wrong for you, and then hang it back up to try again another day. Cristen White (Bee Organized Sioux Falls) recommends keeping a small donation basket in your closet (or hanging a donation bag on a hanger) so that you can quickly remove the item from circulation. Practice the One-In-One-Out rule. This is a great way to stop the tendency to over-accumulate clothing. Anytime you bring a new version of something home, make a pact with yourself to get rid of an old one. For example, if you bring home a lovely new sweater, it’s time to say goodbye to one that you rarely wear. Purge every time the season changes. Amber Lawson (Bee Organized Central Austin) recommends purging clothing between seasons. You can remove those clothing items that you never wore during the season that has just passed AND make space for a purchase or two for the upcoming season. Closet organization is about creating a functional space that supports your daily life, not creating a picture-perfect wardrobe. You deserve to be able to open that closet door and quickly see an array of clothing that fits you well and that makes you feel good about whatever you are facing today. If you need help with learning how to organize clothes in a closet, reach out to the Bee Organized location that’s nearest to you. Our Bees are always ready to give you the compassionate, confidential, and judgment-free help you deserve!

Learn more
Find Us Near You Schedule an Assessment