the home library: a guide to the books you keep at home

Belanews

An independent guide to the home library. It is not a news publication, a shop or a library, and it has no connection with the previous website on this domain.

Guides

Practical guides

The first article in this section is about children's reading. Many parents want their child to read and, without meaning to, turn books into homework: so many pages, then cartoons. That approach rarely works for long. Below is a sequence of steps that helps make reading an enjoyable part of family life rather than a duty to be got out of the way as quickly as possible.

A love of reading cannot be assigned. It can only be shown by example and patiently nurtured — with a book by the bed, a conversation in the evening, the freedom to choose.

— From the editors

What to prepare in advance

  • A low shelf or basket from which the child can take books without asking an adult.
  • A few books of different kinds: fairy tales, picture-led non-fiction, funny stories, poems.
  • A comfortable reading spot: an armchair, cushions on the floor or a corner with good light.
  • A little free time in the evening that you are willing to spend with your child without your phone.
  • An agreement within the family that reading is never used as a punishment or as a condition for a reward.
  • A willingness to read yourself: children notice whether adults pick up a book of their own accord.

  1. Start by reading together

    Read aloud even if your child can already read alone. Shared reading takes the pressure off: the child listens to the story instead of wrestling with difficult words.

    Illustrative example: a six-year-old reads slowly, sounding out each word, so his mother reads the chapter aloud and he reads just one short line spoken by a character.

  2. Give them a choice

    Let your child choose books, even if the choice seems frivolous to you. Interest in any story broadens over time.

    Illustrative example: a girl keeps picking the sticker book about animals, and her parents calmly put a similar one with more text next to it.

  3. Keep books within reach

    Keep children's books where your child spends time, not in a glass-fronted cabinet. What is always at hand gets picked up more often.

    Illustrative example: a basket of books is placed next to the sofa, and the boy leafs through it on his own while waiting for dinner.

  4. Talk, don't test

    Ask about the characters and how the story made them feel rather than checking they can retell it. "What would you have done?" works better than "Tell me what happened in that chapter".

    Illustrative example: over dinner, a father asks his daughter which character she would take on a camping trip, and the conversation goes on for half an hour.

  5. Start a family tradition

    A regular ritual helps more than one-off efforts: reading before bed, a book on a weekend outing, a shared shelf of family finds.

    Illustrative example: every Sunday the family chooses one book to read aloud together; each person reads a page and then passes the book on to the next.

  6. Let them put a book down

    If a story doesn't grab them, let them set it aside. Learning to choose what suits you is part of being a reader, and forcing your way to the end kills enthusiasm.

    Illustrative example: a boy abandons a thick novel halfway through, and a year later returns to it of his own accord and finishes it in a week.

  7. Mix formats

    Paper books, e-books and audiobooks are not rivals. What matters is that the child meets stories, not which format they come in.

    Illustrative example: on a long journey the family listens to an audiobook, and back home the daughter finds the same story on the shelf and finishes it herself.

  8. Celebrate book days

    World Book and Copyright Day is marked on 23 April, as established by UNESCO. It is a good excuse to visit the library, swap books with friends or hold a reading evening at home.

    Illustrative example: at the end of April the children prepare "book gifts" for each other — each picks a story from the shelf to recommend to a sibling.

What to avoid

  • Using reading as a punishment or making it a condition for cartoons and games.
  • Demanding a retelling after every chapter and turning conversations about books into tests.
  • Criticising your child's choices and pushing only "worthwhile" books.
  • Stopping reading aloud as soon as your child has learned to put letters together.
  • Keeping children's books up high or behind glass where they can't reach them on their own.
  • Comparing your child with siblings or classmates who read more.
  • Expecting quick results and giving up after a couple of weeks.

Other approaches

  • If your child doesn't like long texts, start with comics and books with large illustrations.
  • If you are too tired to read aloud in the evening, put on an audiobook and listen to it together.
  • If you have few children's books at home, visit your nearest library or arrange a swap with friends.
  • If interest fades, suggest that your child make up a story of their own and write it down in a notebook.

Final checklist

  • Children's books are kept where your child can reach them alone.
  • You read together at least a few times a week.
  • Your child chooses some of the books.
  • Reading is not tied to punishments or rewards.
  • You talk about books rather than testing.
  • A book that doesn't appeal can be put aside without reproach.
  • Your family has at least one reading tradition.
  • Your child sees that adults read too.

Article catalogue for English-speaking readers

This is where standalone articles about the home library will be gathered: on arranging and cataloguing books, careful storage, children's and family reading, and swapping books. They are written specifically for the English-language version of the guide, and we aim to make every tip something you can try at your own bookshelf the same evening.

Coming soon

  • Bookmarks, not dog-ears: small handling habits that keep pages and spines in good shape.
  • Book covers for school books and favourites: when a protective cover helps and when it gets in the way.
  • Moving house with your books: packing, carrying and unpacking a home library without damage.
  • Inscriptions and bookplates: how to mark a book as yours without spoiling it.
  • A family bookshelf: gathering the books that matter to several generations in one place.

Editorial rules

  • Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
  • Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
  • We do not sell books or publish advertising for publishers, shops or services, rankings, prices or reviews.
  • 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.

  • Shelving (in Russian)

    A note on the old address and ways to arrange books at home, plus a weekend plan for sorting a shelf.

  • Sections

    Four sections: shelves and order, book care, family reading, swapping and cataloguing.

What we drew on

  • 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.