This talk about organizing makes me realize that I now have my first silent film dvd (The Passion of Joan of Arc). I think I'll mix it in with my dramas (probably put it next to M) instead of giving it its own genre.

I do it by a mixture of what the book is about (esp. nonfiction), author (for the authors I have a zillion books by) and shelf size.

This--mine are separated fiction from non, and further within fiction to trashy romance, other fiction (mostly trashy thrillers), gay stuff, YA, and scifi (the bulk). Scifi is slightly more generously categorized than some libraries or bookstores, and includes some things that are possibly romance or YA, but by scifi authors, or with scifi themes. And then it's alphabetized. Or at least, it used to be. I still haven't re-done that since moving a few months ago.

And hardbacks and trade paperbacks are on their own shelves, since they don't fit.

My books are primarily organized by how often I want to reread them. DVDs are DH's department and are obsessively alphabetized (TV and box sets being given their own separate shelves).

I try to keep books by the same author together. Otherwise my organization is mostly based on whether I'm reading that kind of thing (for various values of "that kind of thing") much these days and whether it's one of the bookcases that needs heavier books on the bottom to keep it upright.

We have our books organized by room, since we have bookcases in different rooms.

LR: Tall shelf, House, gardening books and McSweeneys. Small shelf, childrens lit, the few first editions we own, Childcraft and Book House sets. Shelves by fireplace: art, photogrpahy books.

BR: favorite fiction, Heyers, magazine collection

Guest room --books by friends on one shelf. Music/guitar books on one wall, other wall is more fiction, also humor books.

Office -- reference books, biographies, car/motorcycle books, movie/theater reference.

My books are primarily organized by how often I want to reread them.

This.

And, to a lesser degree, by size, because I can't stand seeing tall-short-tall-short-short-short-tall-short-tall-tall-tall, etc.

People organize their books?

My books are primarily organized by how often I want to reread them.

And, to a lesser degree, by size, because I can't stand seeing tall-short-tall-short-short-short-tall-short-tall-tall-tall, etc.

This is me.

Currently, the only organization in my library is separation into piles of books that I mean to read and piles of books that I have already read. Some of the piles are on shelves.

It's not a good system, but it suffices. Sort of.

The books I've got on stack on the floor or tables are only there because I haven't had time to rearrange my shelves to put them into place. If they're on the shelves, they must be in the proper order, damnit!!