PSA: a weird thing at a library book sale completely changed how I organize my shelves

I was at the annual Friends of the Library sale in Madison, and a volunteer told me to just put books in boxes spine-down to avoid damage. I'd always done it spine-up, but her way is faster and keeps the pages from splaying. Anyone else pick up a random tip that stuck with you?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul_owens251mo ago

Wait, Infinite Jest was your shelf anchor? That is wild to me. I read that thing in college and it took me like four months, and the spine cracked on like day two. I can't imagine using it for anything other than maybe a doorstop or a desperate last resort for a campfire. @the_morgan, I gotta ask, did the weight of that book actually make your shelves more stable, or did you just want it within arm's reach in case you needed to look up a footnote? I keep my copy on a separate shelf all by itself because it honestly scares me a little.

the_morgan1mo ago

Spine-down is a total game changer for moving boxes. But it also made me realize I organize my shelves by how heavy the books are. Big hardcovers go on the bottom shelf now, paperbacks up top. It keeps the whole thing from looking like it's about to tip over. My copy of Infinite Jest was basically a shelf anchor.

cameron9631mo ago

Right there with you, now my bottom shelf is basically a book weight lifting competition.