Collections
Collections
A collection is a short path through the guide, put together for a particular situation. You don't have to read everything in order: pick what feels most relevant right now and work through a few pages in the suggested sequence. The simpler pages come first and the more detailed ones towards the end.
An old book with someone else's inscription on the endpaper holds not only its text but also the memory of those who read it before you. Looking after it means carrying that story on.
Collections include only published pages of the guide. The "Getting started" label means a page needs no prior knowledge; "Going deeper" means it covers the topic in more detail and is useful once you have taken the first steps.
Your first home shelf
For those who are just starting to collect books, or who have moved and are arranging them in a new place.
- Book termsGetting started
What a spine, endpaper, edge and dust jacket are — a few words that come in handy when caring for books.
- Ways to arrange books (in Russian)Getting started
How to choose an order for your shelf and sort it out over a weekend.
- A home catalogue (in Russian)Going deeper
How to keep a simple list of your books so the library doesn't descend into chaos as it grows.
Books and children
For parents, grandparents, nursery staff and everyone who reads together with children.
- Questions about readingGetting started
What to do if a child keeps rereading the same book, and how to combine paper and screen.
- Reading without pressureGetting started
A step-by-step approach: from reading aloud together to family traditions and book days.
- Where to give children's books (in Russian)Going deeper
Where outgrown children's books can find new young readers.
Old books
For those who have inherited books from parents or grandparents and want to preserve them for as long as possible.
- Guide sectionsGetting started
An overview of the book care section and how it connects to the other topics.
- Storage termsGetting started
Humidity, fading, acid-free paper and mould — what is worth knowing about old books.
- A book's main enemies (in Russian)Going deeper
A closer look at light, damp and dust, and at when you really need a specialist.
Related pages
- 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.
- Reference
Glossary: binding, spine, endpaper, edges, dust jacket, ISBN, shelf mark, bookplate, acid-free paper.
- Sections
Four sections: shelves and order, book care, family reading, swapping and cataloguing.
What we drew on
- Belanews guide pages
- 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.