Orginizing help requested

[JPD]

One of the shelves on my bookcase decided to give under the weight of the books. I was able to get the shelf back on, but because that shelf was already damaged, I didn't want to put the heavy text book load back on that shelf. I started by switching the two shelves around.

It turns out the shelf I was switching it with is much smaller, so the books don't all fit. I'm working on trying to make it work. The main issue I"m having, it to change and organize the shelves, it requires making more of a mess to start with, which is making it more difficult for me to be motivated. Why is organizing books so difficult?

Also any suggestion on the best way to organize books. I know the answer is to pair down, but I do reread books frequently (including old text books) All the shelves are already full. and I have books that don't fit anywhere.

[Seshat]

Libraries are the experts in organising books for easy retrieval; so take tips from them.

However, we non-libraries tend to be limited in space, so organise by size first. Buy/repair/build bookshelves that are sized for the standard paperback, enough to fit your current stock of paperbacks + 10%, rounded up.
Then the standard hardback, ditto.
Then oversized books, ditto.

Within the paperbacks, hardbacks, and oversized books, you then sort them into fiction and non-fiction.
Fiction is sorted into genre (whichever categories you choose), then by author.
Non-fiction is sorted into subject. If you aren't sure how you want to designate different subjects, google the dewey decimal system. (NO home library needs to use the Library of Congress system - waaaay too detailed! Even the Dewey is more detailed than home libraries really need, but you can simplify it for yourself.)

[Kanalah]

I have a lot of books at my house. Seriously, they're everywhere.

Hubs keeps his computer books at his desk. I keep my quilting books in a special shelf by my sewing machine.

In the living room we have an entire bookshelf devoted to fiction books. Adult on the top shelves, going down to the YA, and little golden books and Dr Seuss on the bottom shelves.

In the dining? room there's another 2 bookshelves. The smaller one is the "school" shelf. (We homeschool) with non-fiction children's books arranged by subject with labeled shelves. (Workbooks, Art and Culture, Biographies, Religion, Science and the Natural World, History, Myths and Legends, and General Reference) The larger book shelf is adult non-fiction, but is pretty much left unorganized. (Except for one shelf which is my zoology shelf - so many encyclopedias. )

[Ironclad Alibi]

I have two schemes for organizing my books. On one wall of my bedroom I have a shelf full of paperback books. These are arranged by author. The book shelves in my den (home office to the modern generation) are mostly arranged by subject matter. The bottom line is to use a scheme which you like and will let you find the book wanted the quickest.