It has been almost 14 years since I first learned how to read. I do not remember the first time I realized I could read on my own, but I do remember always being and still being a bookworm. While some kids despised and detested indoor recess on rainy days, I relished in them because I could read to my heart’s content. Daily SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) was always my favorite part of the school day in elementary school since I could read at my own pace and without any distractions.

This love of reading has produced a love of books. Even as a little kid I had a floor to ceiling bookshelf; it has always been full or overflowing. My little home library is a defining characteristic both of me and my room. If someone wished to know me better all they would have to do would be look at my bookshelves. Here are the things that all home librarians know to be true.

1. There is no good way to organize your books.

As many times as you try, and you have, you will never find a system that works to keep all your books in order. Part of you wants to implement the Dewey Decimal System, but finding the right DDS numbers for each book is almost impossible. Because of this you have restored to an amalgamation of books with no order. But hey! At least they are not falling off your shelves.

2. You never have to worry about finding a new read, yet you still do.

I have around 600 books in my library, and might have read 250 cover to cover, yet I still find it hard to choose a new book to read. Having a large selection makes it easy to pick one at random, but discerning readers find such a selection overwhelming.

3. Choosing which books to take with you to school is dreadful.

When I started packing for college I knew I was going to take a small part of my library with me, I couldn't not bring books to my new home. There was a huge problem with this though: I cannot bring 600 books with me to a dorm room. It took my about two days to pack everything for school before I left, and at least half a day was spent choosing the books that would make up my mini-library. In the end I brought 50 from home.

4. Free books are dangerous.

While all readers love a good bookstore – national or independent – it is easy to contain one’s self and not buy many, because there is not an infinite amount of money. Free books, on the other hand, are dangerous. There is no way to reason out of taking free books home. It is like adoption: If you do not take them home, then they will probably be thrown out otherwise. I may have gone to school with only 50 books, I came home with 75.

5. A built-in library is home goals.

While individual bookshelves are sufficient for your current library, having a separate room in your house that is the library is number one of future home goals. Even if you have to build it yourself, one day we will all have our own libraries.

I could drone on and on about home libraries, but I think this is a good place to stop…for now.