Cathleen Colson

I have over 300 cookbooks on the shelves around the door to my pantry (I can feed the whole neighborhood for at least 2 weeks if we have the "big" earthquake), and almost as many quilt/sewing books in my sewing room! I'd like to find a good organizing system. Someone said there was a way to scan the barcodes on the books to form an inventory. Anyone have any experience? I'm Mac-based, not PC.

lynmccoy

I get a lot of my quilt books from the public library when they have a book sale. The hardbacked books are $1 and the softbacked ones are $.50. There's always a lot of quilting,decorating,and sewing books that don't look like they've even been checked out. Someone else beat me to 3 dvds with quilt patterns that sold for $3.00 each.

lynmccoy

I spent most of my time with my grandparents cause my mother worked 2 jobs. When I got ready to spend part of my allowance on books,drawing paper,charcoal pencils, anything ,pastels, my grandpa(he'd usually take me while grandma got groceries) always refused to let me buy them. He would pay for them.He told me,"anything that educates your mind and spreads your talents,I'll take care of" and then encourage me to pick out some more.

lynmccoy

There probably is a way, but I only know enough about computers to use it in the simple-range ability. I have had 4 printers in the last 5 years and still can't use the scan function.

Anne P

I don't have a ton of quilting books, but did have a stack of magazines about 8' tall! I have slowly gone through all of them, tearing out pages with patterns I might want to make, or at least like, and recycling the parts I didn't want or would never use. I am puching these and putting them in binders by category. Once we have finished remodeling the front part of the basement (the Wreckroom), I plan to have just one tall bookcase for my quilting books and binders. Of course, if the authors don't stop publishing, I'll be using more than one bookcase! I guess I could always scan some stuff into the computer. Maybe someday.

gzuslivz

It's only too many if: 1) you don't have any more room; 2) you buy books rather than food for your family; 3) they hinder your creativity rather than feed it; or 4) the floor starts sagging under the weight. Other than that, you are good to go! I don't just have quilt books for the patterns. Sometimes I buy the book because it makes me feel good to look through it. Maybe I'll make something and maybe I won't. When the book doesn't do anything for me anymore I pass it on to a quilting friend.

gzuslivz

Macs have a program where you use the camera to scan the books. It uses the ISBN to input all the information and records it. I think it's called "Books".

katigirl

You are only addicted if you admit it. I like the sound of club better. :)

Grandmama Pat

I, too, am a book lover. My Kindle was supposed to save me money -- my daughter gave it to me for my birthday a couple years ago. I still love to buy books, though, and I love quilt magazines. I buy a ton of those, because when I finally get to sit down at night, it's usually with a stack of quilt magazines beside me to browse through, or a book to read.

Gabrielle's Mimi

What a wise and wonderful grandfather! You are so lucky! We are new grandparents and will remember this as we spend time with our sweet litle Gabrielle.