Organize Your Bookshelves

If You Have Lots of Books

1. Mix and match. Arrange most of your books vertically to save space, but incorporate a few horizontal stacks to spark interest.  
 
 2. Add decorative items. “I’d never place more than 30 or so books vertically without breaking the line with a pretty object,” says Meryl Starr, a personal organizer in New York City.  
 
 3. Don’t overdo it. “Leave at least one quarter of each shelf free to give a sense of airiness,” says Starr.  
 
 4. Illuminate your books. A nighttime reader? Attach a battery-operated click light under the top shelf.  
 
 5. Treat your books well. Lay large volumes horizontally to protect their covers, says Babette Gehnrich, chief conservator of the American Antiquarian Society, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Vertical, large books need to be supported by books of equal size to prevent warping

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Endless Summer by Mythic 
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