I have never been able to get too excited about typeface classification systems. Of all the texts that I have read about the subject, I think that I most agree with Jonathan Hoefler’s “On classifying type” from Emigre number 42 (1997). Or perhaps with John Hudson’s classification system (based on this source). Still, I’m excited that Indra Kupferschmid and Nick Sherman will be leading a several-hour-long discussion on the topic at the upcoming ATypI. It is a pity that I will likely miss that day of the conference.
I recently began thinking about the trouble with classification systems while reorganizing the books in my library. Like typeface classification, there are several library guidelines and numbering systems I could rely on. Perhaps someday, I will even do this. But for the moment – due to some additional new shelving space in my apartment – I have decided to rearrange my books according to the following categories:
- Architecture
- Architecture magazines
- Art history
- Annual journals and other regular journals
- Award annuals
- Bibles
- Books about learning Hindi
- Books about lettering
- Books about specific type foundries
- Books about typography
- Books and folios by designers, design studios, or publishers that just look cool
- Cookbooks
- Costume design
- Dictionaries, phrasebooks, and language-learning books
- Fairy tales
- Fiction and poetry
- Gutenbergiana
- History of design
- History of printing
- History of writing
- IKEA catalogs
- Magazine-like publications from foundries
- Magazines and miscellaneous type specimen
- Miscellaneous design books
- Monographs about designers
- Monographs by designers
- My own work in print
- Photo albums
- Sketchbooks (mine, and Anke’s)
- Stupid typography-experiment books and folios
- Theater
- Travel guides and maps
- Type foundry specimen books
- Typography manuals
- World history and current events
Having settled on these categories, I still see lot’s of problems. First of all, there are not really enough categories here … and then there is the situation that certain books could really appear in multiple categories. Do I put my copies of Gerrit Noordzij’s Letterletter and The Stroke with “books about lettering” – where I also have several calligraphy and writing manuals – or in “monographs by designers”, “books about typography,” or “history of writing?” Will visiting designers who see their books in my “stupid typography-experiment books and folios” section be insulted? There are no labels on my bookshelves, but perhaps they would be able to guess …
There is also the order of categories to consider, as well as the order of books within categories. Above, I have listed my categories alphabetically, but I find this impractical. As for order within each category, I could sort by the author’s last name, year of publication, size, color, or by the order in which I read the books. Each category will require some additional shelving space, for new additions of course. But certain categories will certainly grow fast than others.
Comments
7 responses to “Reorganizing my books”
IKEA catalogs?
Away with those.
Well, they aren’t mine, so they must be saved. Besides, there is still room for them. And, I like them. They are the best not-Bauer Futura specimens. Except for the one that is set in Verdana. It is my Verdana print specimen! In the future, it will be nice to still have.
Indra,
funny! as I came to the same conclusion just before I reach the comments section: what the hell to collect Ikea catalogs, even pre-Verdana era ones! :)
I had no idea this category would be so controversial! It is one of the smaller sections…
definitly keep the IKEA catalogues. i also kept them to document the strange verdana-decision. but now i can get rid of them knowing that they sit somewhere around the corner – where they even have their own catagory ;-).
Thanks for this, Dan. My books are in an embarrassing state of disarray, have been for years. I’ve tried several different categorization systems, but they have never come to more than systems – none of them has been put into practice. And I don’t know what to do about “books I have at home” and “books I have at the uni”. In a few years, when the uni puts me out to pasture, they will all have to come together somehow anyway, so that problem will be solved. I have software called “Bookpedia”, but it doesn’t tell me where the books are, just that I own them.
I use Delicious Library to organize my books electronically. The app is … well … delicious! But it never helps me find any of the books in the real, physical space.