PRIVATE (HOME) COLLECTIONS
If you have asked yourself on more than one occasion, "Where did I put this book?" or "Do I already have this book?" – you are probably the owner of a large private book collection that has grown out of control.
The Organized Library works with collectors to develop a space for their books and to organize and catalog their holdings to ensure quick, easy retrieval.
Using a computerized catalog, you can locate the book quickly, searching by title, author, subject, shelf location, date – or as many criteria as you prefer. Not only is access to a specific volume quick and easy, but an automated catalog allows for subject/keyword searches that bring together books touching on similar subjects but not necessarily placed next to each other on the shelf.
Another key benefit of the computerized catalog is improved control of the collection, so that you do not purchase multiple copies of the same book, and you can readily see what you do not have. This feature works for music collections, slide and photograph collections, rare books – anything that needs to be accessed in this manner.
We also develop a customized subject classification or taxonomy based on the works in your unique collection rather than some global scheme like the Library of Congress. There are probably subject areas in your collection that are extensively developed and require further sub-categorization than is dealt with in global systems. The classification scheme designed for you will determine how books are arranged on the shelf; the catalog provides the means to search for a subject or a specific book by such criteria as topic, author, title, or keyword.
The advantages of having this kind of structure in place for the collection will make it easier:
- to find specific titles;
- to put them back on the shelf in the correct place;
- to locate relevant materials;
- to have a record or inventory of the entire collection; and, perhaps most importantly,
- to have a system in place to handle new acquisitions as your collection grows.