Personal Library Organization
So I’ve researched and thought and debated and ruminated and finally decided that I will buy a lifetime LibraryThing account (for an unlimited account), tag my books by category for organization, and shelve my books by intuitive category without labeling or marking them. This conclusion has taken me over a year to reach.
Before I set about completing my book entering and tagging the books, though, I wanted to decide what my categories and subcategories would be so that they can be consistent. I took a week to create the following list, utilizing the Library of Congress classification, Dewey classification, and the Westminster Confession for subcategories. Each book will be under only one main category, but as many subcategories as fit.
Reference
- words (dictionaries, etc.)
- procedure (Robert’s Rules, etiquette)
- grammar
- medical
- elementary
Theology
- commentary
- Scripture
- systematic
- Trinity
- creation
- covenant
- salvation (including sanctification)
- assurance
- church ( including worship, fellowship, community)
- marriage (including children)
- sacraments
- councils (creeds, etc.)
- death (including suffering and grief)
- eschatology
- evangelism
- elementary
Language
- grammar
- annalistic
- linguistics
- writing
- speaking
- rhetoric (including argumentation)
- bibliomaniacal
- elementary
Education
- theory
- pedagogy
- practical
- homeschool
- classical
- traditional
- CM (Charlotte Mason)
- annalistic
- metanarrative
Philosophy
- annalistic
- epistemology
- metaphysical
- ethical
- political
- teleology
- ancient
- medieval
- renaissance
- modern
- current
- Socratic
- Aristotelian
- Platonic
- Epicurean
- Stoic
- Eastern
- logic
- psychology
- analysis
- elementary
Science
- annalistic
- ancient
- medieval
- renaissance
- modern
- current
- analysis
- method
- astronomy
- biology (human only)
- botany
- chemistry
- geology
- mathematics
- physics
- zoology
- entomology
- paleontology
- meteorology
- engineering (useful application)
- elementary
Arts
- annalistic
- fine
- music
- technique
- anthology
- food (including wine)
- photography
- ancient
- medieval
- renaissance
- modern
- current
- analysis
- elementary
- American
- British
- European
- world
- Eastern
Poetry
- annalistic
- ancient
- medieval
- renaissance
- modern
- current
- anthology
- analysis
- elementary
- American
- British
- European
- world
- Eastern
History
- annalistic
- ancient
- medieval
- renaissance
- modern
- current
- analysis
- anthropology
- biography
- American
- British
- European
- world
- Eastern
Literature
- American
- British
- European
- world
- Eastern
- annalistic
- ancient
- medieval
- renaissance
- modern
- current
- analysis
- anthology
- faerie
- myth (fable, legend, folk)
Fiction
- adventure
- mystery
- historical
- humor
- romantic
- children’s
- youth
- fantasy (including science-fiction)
- realistic
- Western
