One of the things I struggle with is that I have almost too much material - too many resources. My book budget isn't what I wish it were, so I try to get a lot of books at the library. I get easily overwhelmed with magazines and scraps of paper listing books I want to read. Some people might develop a database on their computer to keep track of their list. I tried that, but it didn't work for me. I am a big fan of trying different systems until I find one that works with the way I am wired so that's what I did. My system may be complicated for others, but it works for me.
I have three wire-bound journals I got at a bookstore on clearance for $5 each. I am a paper-crafter, so I decorated them. (This way I can buy the ugly stuff on clearance and make it useful!) One is for kids books, one is for non-fiction and one is for fiction. Then I made letter tabs every few pages - this was the fussy part of the system, but I didn't mind. Once the tabs were in place, I could start entering books by author in the appropriate notebook.
One drawback to the system is that I chose to only write down the title and author. No description. I have a decent memory, though, so the books I am most interested in, I remember. I also make stars for the ones I want to find right away. Periodically I will sit down at the computer and look up the latest additions on the library's system. If it is a nonfiction book, I write down the call number so I can find it without looking it up again. If it is fiction, I write down where to find it at the library (14 day books, paperback, etc.) I check off books when I read them. I can use the notebooks to make a list of books I want to get from the library, or I can mark when I submit a request for a particular title.
As I said, it may not be a system that works for other people, but it works for me. I can set it aside for several months if I am busy and pick it back up any time. It has helped me make my book resources more manageable.
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