4Real Forums: Organizing Book Suggestions and Wishlists

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Topic: Organizing Book Suggestions and Wishlists

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CrunchyMom
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Posted: June 12 2009 at 9:12am \| IP Logged

I am starting to realize that I need a system. I see so many wonderful suggestions for books here, in booklists, Cay's book, etc...

Some of the books are things I know that my boys will LOVE someday, but maybe it will be a couple of years.

Some of the books are on subjects I know we will cover some day.

Some of the books are things I know I'd be content to check out from the library from time to time, others I'm pretty sure I'd like to own eventually.

Still others are books *I'd* like to read, but I don't have time or it is seasonal and I'd like to wait, etc...

So what is your system? I considered a spreadsheet. I thought it would be helpful to sort by Author, title, subject, ages/grade, etc... I'd also like to have a place for notes like, JennG's favorite cookbook, or JenMack's rec for whatever so I remember why I wanted to get it.

But then, of course, some things start to cross categories or need broad as well as specific categories (Like the Thornton Burgess books I was considering would be literature, science, and the the specifics like "birds.")

Also, how do you plan to use books from the library? It will sometimes take a week or two to get a requested book, but other times it will take a few days--either way, I really should request the book ahead of time (especially something like getting The Holy Twins in time for the feast day).

I am planning to start something like Dawn's folder system which I think could help with requesting/ordering books in time, but it still seems like I need some central means of keeping track of books for future use and also of the books we have gotten and enjoyed.

Are there software resources out there or templates for Access or Excel that people use?

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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony

[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR

CrunchyMom
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Posted: June 12 2009 at 9:20am \| IP Logged

Also, I have several anthologies. I don't always remember what I have in them. So, in putting the books I own into such a "system"--it seems that I also need to incorporate individual short stories and poems in the mix from these.

For instance, I have a collection of short stories from St. NIcholas magazine. Its a treasure full of stories from favorite authors like L. M. Montgomer, Louisa May Alcott, Thornton Burgess, and others; but keeping track of all I have for living history, read alouds, fun poems, etc... seems overwhelming to simply use my memory!

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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony

[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR

DianaC
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Posted: June 12 2009 at 9:34am \| IP Logged

I'm going to watch this thread closely! I've been wondering the same thing! But in addition to organizing the books, I would also like ideas to organize movie lists.

So far, I have a small binder with the booklists that I think are the best for various subjects. I have each list tabbed for ease in finding. Last year I tried keeping the binder handy to look-up books as we went along. This wasn't very successful as I usually didn't check it early enough to be able to request the books in time. For next year, I've been going through the lists and adding the book titles right to my planner.

My biggest problem now is remembering what books we already possess (and where they are) and which ones need to be requested.

Paula in MN
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Posted: June 12 2009 at 5:07pm \| IP Logged

I created a spreadsheet. It is VERY detailed. I have every book listed in Real Learning, WTM, Catholic Mosaic, MA, Simply Charlotte Mason, and For the Love of Learning.

And I mean every book.

My fields are Title, Author, Reference Book Title, Recommended subject, Recommended Age or Grade.

I bold the titles of the books I own. I put checkmarks in any column that the book falls under, ie both Real Learning and MA. I can then sort the list by title, subject and age, etc. and print out and take with me to garage sales, etc. It has truly saved me alot of time and money. I no longer wonder if I own that book, etc.

It took about 15-20 hours total to get the spreadsheet prepared.

HOWEVER.....I can't find it on my computer. I have looked EVERYWHERE. I have even restored my hardrive going back 6 months. IT. IS. GONE.

I'm going to re-create it as it is DEFINITELY worth it.

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Paula
A Catholic Harvest

JodieLyn
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Posted: June 12 2009 at 5:38pm \| IP Logged

For the moment and not near as extensive as I think you mean..

Amazon lets me have multiple book lists..

so I have lists for history broken down into time periods.. I have the priority set for each level being a level.. so I can sort by priority and see the books clumped for elementary or high school or whatever..

I also have a list for science books
a list for general homeschooling
a list for each person for just because they'd like them

Then I have a list for Christmas gifts.. into which I start moving things from other lists so that I can decide what I can get for Christmas

I also have just the general wish list where things go until I decide where else to put them.. it's definately a continual work in progress.

I do have a spreadsheet for the history books which is nice.. I've used several resources to put books into a timeline within 4 school levels (k-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) That's nice because I can see obvious holes in the timeline or if it's something we want to be able to do with all ages if one age is missing anything relevent..

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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4

All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott

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