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BLOG POST

Every book in its place

By Bonni Stachowiak | December 8, 2015 | | XFacebookLinkedInEmail

Dark wood book shelf with old books
Dark wood book shelf with old books

I am starting my initial preparation for a presentation I'll be giving at the 2016 Lilly Conference in Newport Beach, CA in February.

As I went to search for Dan Roam's Show and Tell book, which has a method for outlining presentations, I discovered a book I have been looking for on my shelves for more than a year now. It is unusual for me to lose books, since I have a pretty good system going for cataloging them.

Most organizing experts all have some way of stating that everything should have a place that it belongs. I find whenever I lose things, or start to get messy, it is because I have acquired items that have yet to find a “home” either in my university or home office.

In my delight over my discovery of the lost book, I decided to describe a few of the approaches I use to ensure that my books have a place.

Group physical books by category and label them

Decades ago, my Mom used to work in a bookstore and is pretty much the family librarian. She has twice now helped me categorize my books through two moves. Thank you Mom.

In order to maintain the categories that she set up, I printed labels using my label maker.

IMG_0563

I used an index card, folded down about an inch from the end of the card, with a label with the relevant category attached.

Devote a space near your primary working desk for books you're using this semester

I tend to read the majority of my books these days via either my iPad or my Kindle. The big exception to that is that I tend to read hardcopy textbooks. I use them more than any other books during a given semester.

IMG_0559

It makes it simple having them all grouped together within arm's reach of where I do the majority of my focused work.

Weed out old books once a year and consider donating them

On a recent episode of Very Bad Wizards, the hosts spoke about their powerful experiences in teaching prison inmates.

One need they mentioned was for textbooks for inmates. This isn't something I have done before, but through a bit of searching found the Prison Book Program and Books Through Bars as a couple of organizations that may help facilitate your giving.

There's also a listing by the Prison Book Program website for other prison book programs, in case none of the options above serve in your area. Again, I can't vouch for these organizations and welcome any feedback you have in the comments section.

Another idea for donating books is to consider giving to Books for Africa.

Consider transitioning to ebooks

As I mentioned previously, most of my new reading takes place via my iPad or my Kindle. It is great to have all my highlights in one place and have the ability to search annotations that I've made previously.

When reading electronic books, there's no longer a physical book that needs to be stored. You can let whatever service you use keep all your books organized and avoid spending more than a year looking for that one missing book, like me.

I also enjoy using Goodreads to catalog books that I've read and even to share with the grandparents the books that our kids own.

Bonni's bookshelf: faculty_development

How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching
0 of 5 stars
How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching
by Susan A. Ambrose
tagged:
faculty_development and to-read
Learner-Centered Teaching
0 of 5 stars
Learner-Centered Teaching
by Maryellen Weimer
tagged:
faculty_development and to-read
Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses
0 of 5 stars
Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses
by L. Dee Fink
tagged:
faculty_development
Educative Assessment: Designing Assessments to Inform and Improve Student Performance
0 of 5 stars
Educative Assessment: Designing Assessments to Inform and Improve Student Performance
by Grant P. Wiggins
tagged:
faculty_development and to-read
Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment
0 of 5 stars
Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment
by Barbara E. Walvoord
tagged:
faculty_development

 


goodreads.com

[reminder]What methods do you use to keep your books organized?[/reminder]

 

 

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: books, organization

Bonni Stachowiak

Bonni Stachowiak is the producer and host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, which has been airing weekly since June of 2014. Bonni is the Dean of Teaching and Learning at Vanguard University of Southern California. She’s also a full Professor of Business and Management. She’s been teaching in-person, blended, and online courses throughout her entire career in higher education. Bonni and her husband, Dave, are parents to two curious kids, who regularly shape their perspectives on teaching and learning.

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  1. Books on teaching in higher education: My picks about pedagogy says:
    January 30, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    […] did find a post about how I organize my physical books, but nothing containing a list of favorite books on […]

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