Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

August 18, 2021

I love to read. Do you? But it can get away from me sometimes. Have you seen my nightstand or e-reader lately? At this time of year, I love a paper book (beach read anyone?) So to help you (and me) out today I’d like to list 10 ways you can manage your reading material. All these tips are for paper-based reading.

1. Don’t let magazines or newspapers pile up.  Clip out articles of interest and file them in manila folders that are labeled as to the topic.
2. If you’re in the habit of lending books to others, write your name on the inside cover, so they’ll be reminded to return it.
3. A quick way of identifying your books so you can keep books of one topic together is to place colored labels on the spines. Red for business, blue for health, green for psychology, etc.  If they get separated it’s easy to spot them.
4. It’s faster to browse through books on websites than in bookstores. The largest site is (of course) www.amazon.com. You can search by title, author, and subject.
5. When photocopying material from books that cannot be marred, write the source on a sticky note that can be removed after photocopying.
6. Stick a partial pad of sticky notes on the inside cover of any book you are reading so you can easily mark pages and make notes.
7. If you find you lose your place when reading books due to the bookmarker falling out, use an elastic band.  It keeps the read pages firmly in place and will definitely not fall out.
8. Keep a folder containing articles torn or photocopied from magazines so you can read while traveling, in waiting rooms, or in long lines.
9. Every few years, allow your magazine subscriptions to expire. Reinstate only those you have missed.
10. Read books and magazines with a highlighter in hand to mark relevant ideas and a pen with which to jot ideas in the margin.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.