Flynn Matthews 
For book lovers, there are a few thoughts in life more enticing than the idea of having your very own library. When we think of libraries we often think of either the grand structures of national libraries, with their extensive archives, or we think of our local library which, despite a decidedly smaller selection of books, provides a truly special service to the community.
Having a library in your own home is not an unattainable goal, however. In fact, it is remarkably easy to do and something that is well worth doing, whether you are a lover of books in general, or you have a collection of specialist material that you want to keep organized.
Those who either have a passion for art and design or work in the field itself, often have a collection of books on the various subjects the field encompasses. Organizing your collection into a library will bring numerous advantages, from creating a more aesthetically pleasing arrangement to making your collection much more useful as a reference source.
Turning a loose collection of books into a library is an easy and enjoyable process and, for art and design students, in particular, it is well worth doing. Below are some tips to get you started.
Find Space
The first thing you will have to decide is where you are going to situate your library. If you have a studio or workshop place, then this would be a logical location for an art and design library.
Some people find that they want to use their books as reference tools in order to inspire ideas and that having them nearby in their studio is, therefore, beneficial, however, others feel that by keeping their library in their studio they are forcing themselves to think, literally, inside the box. For these people it might be better to locate the library somewhere else; there is good scientific evidence that our surroundings have an impact on our ability to recall information and to form new ideas. A change of scenery is therefore sometimes very beneficial.
Decide How to Order It
Once you have a suitable location picked out, you now need to decide how you are going to order your library. The order of your library will depend on what you want to do with it, if you want to be able to quickly locate titles from particular individuals, then you will want to organize it by author. If, on the other hand, you wish to be able to find books quickly by subject then order it according to content.
If you would like to learn more about organizing information within libraries then consider studying for an online MMLIS degree, such as the one offered by the University of Southern California. A library science masters will teach you all you could need to know about organizing a library.
Create Atmosphere
You want to embrace the Chinese principle of Feng Shui, the idea that your physical surroundings can influence your unconscious mind. If you intend to use this library as a place of study, for example, then make sure it is free of distractions.
Setting up your own library at home is very simple to do and very rewarding. it can make a huge difference to your productivity as well as brightening up your home.
