Shelving (in Russian)
How to choose a way of arranging your books — by subject, by author or by how often you reach for them.
the home library: a guide to the books you keep at home
Belanews — a guide to the home library
Almost every home has books: some handed down from grandparents, some picked up on holiday, some given as presents, children's books with well-worn corners. Over time the shelves overflow, the book you want can't be found, and a favourite volume slowly yellows by the window. We explain how to set up a home library that is a pleasure to use: where and how to keep books, how to keep track of them, how to look after paper and covers, how to read with children and what to do with books you no longer need.
A home library is not a storeroom but a living collection. A book that is easy to find and pleasant to hold gets read far more often than one gathering dust in the back row behind glass.
Where to start
Care and repair (in Russian)
Why sunlight and damp harm books, how to deal with dust and when a worn volume is better left to a professional.
Reading with children
How to make books a pleasure rather than a chore, and start reading traditions of your own as a family.
Swapping and cataloguing (in Russian)
How to note down what you own and who has borrowed what, and where to pass on books you no longer need.
Site sections
- Sections
Four sections: shelves and order, book care, family reading, swapping and cataloguing.
- Guides
How to encourage a child to read without pressure: preparation, steps with illustrative examples, mistakes and a checklist. Also the article catalogue.
- Questions
Short answers on storage and care, order and cataloguing, reading together and passing books on.
- Collections
Reading paths: your first home shelf, books and children, old books.
- Reference
Glossary: binding, spine, endpaper, edges, dust jacket, ISBN, shelf mark, bookplate, acid-free paper.
- New
A dated feed of the guide's pages, tagged by section.
- Archive
All pages by date and tag, plus a note on the domain's old addresses.
Tidy a shelf in five steps
Take everything down
Clear one shelf completely and lay the books out on a table or a clean floor. That way you can see how many there really are and what condition they are in.
Set aside what you don't need
Pick out the books you haven't opened in years and are unlikely to return to. Put them in a separate box — you can decide what to do with them later.
Wipe the shelf
While the shelf is empty, remove the dust with a dry or slightly damp cloth and let it dry completely before putting the books back.
Arrange by one principle
Choose one order that makes sense to you — by subject, by author or by how often you use them — and put the books back without squeezing them in too tightly.
Note what you have lent
If some books are currently with friends or family, write it down in a notebook or spreadsheet. Then a gap on the shelf won't be a mystery six months from now.
Frequently asked questions
Are you a news site?
No. Belanews is a guide to the books you keep at home. We do not publish news or cover current events: you will only find practical advice here on how to store, read and pass on books.
Do you sell books?
No. We are neither a shop nor a library: we do not sell, lend or accept anything. The guide simply explains how to look after the books you already have.
How should I store old books?
Keep them away from direct sunlight, radiators and damp corners, don't place them right against an outside wall, and check on them from time to time. Paper made by the acidic process yellows and becomes brittle over time, so such volumes are best leafed through less often and handled with extra care.
What is an ISBN?
It is the International Standard Book Number — a code that identifies an edition unambiguously. Since 2007 it has had 13 digits; before that a 10-digit version was used, so in older books you will see a shorter number.
About the project
A news website used to run on this domain. Its content has not been preserved and we do not reproduce it. This guide to the home library has no connection with that site, does not publish news and does not touch on politics; the name simply came to us along with the domain.
We write for anyone with at least one shelf of books at home: parents who would like their children to read, people who have inherited a family collection, and everyone who loves paper pages. There are no rankings, prices or advertising here — just calm explanations and habits that help books last longer.
What we drew on
- Overview of the ISBN system (general principles)
- UNESCO — World Book and Copyright Day
- Library guidance on book storage (general principles)
This advice is general and meant for an ordinary home library. If a book is especially valuable, very old or already damaged, it is better to show it to a conservator or bookbinder than to attempt a repair yourself.