Archives for Paper
Finding order on your bookshelves
After reading Bringing your bookshelves back to order last week, you’ve hopefully had time to go through your books in your personal collection and clear the clutter. Now that you have enough space for your books, it’s time to take on the task of organizing them on the shelves.
I want to start by recommending that you take inventory of your books. If you value your books enough to keep them, then you should want to replace them if ever your collection is ruined in a disaster. If you wouldn’t want to replace them, then you may want to reconsider keeping them. Additionally, a current inventory allows you to search your whole collection with just a few key strokes on your computer. There are many software programs out there to help you with your inventory. On a PC, you may be interested in trying Readerware for Books ($40). It seems to be the least expensive, most positively reviewed, and it also has a version for Windows-based handheld devices ($50). If you have a Mac system, the two most positively discussed products are Booxter ($50) and Delicious Monster ($40). Neither appear to have the bells and whistles of the Readerware program, but they have much more intuitive interfaces.
With your collection free of clutter and properly inventoried, here are some recommended ways of organizing your books:
- The latest trend is to organize your books by spine color. This method is definitely not for me since it doesn’t provide easy access to finding what I need quickly, but, if you have a home inventory in place, you could enter shelf location and make searching your collection easier.
- I organize my collection using the Library of Congress classification system. I don’t get into the nitty gritty of subclasses, I just follow the broad category groupings. All of my social science books are together on a single shelf, for example.
- If the LoC isn’t for you, the Dewey Decimal groupings may be more your style.
- I’ve also found that organizing most accessed to least accessed works well, especially if you have a lot of shelves that are above shoulder height. Books rarely accessed go up on high shelves, and ones regularly accessed go at eye level or lower. If you have smaller children, reserve the lower shelves for their books.
- Creating your own organization method is always an option, too. If this is the path you choose, I recommend labeling your shelves with Inreda Bookends or sticking a printed label directly on the lip of the shelf. Doing this will help you find your books most efficiently.
Good luck with your book organizing efforts! I’m eager to read in the comments how you’ve decided to organize the books you’ve chosen to keep.
Image from chotda’s collection on flickr.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Brijit: An uncluttered way to get quality information
An Unclutterer reader recently directed me to a website called Brijit (pronounced bridge-it). After doing a Google search about the site, I decided the link wasn’t spam or anything dodgy, and clicked through on the link to learn more about it.
The site, at its core, is a news aggregator. But, unlike other news aggregators, it only focuses on long-form content in magazines and newspapers. The site provides a 100 word summary of the article and a link to the original source if you decide you want to read the full work.
You can access the content on the site, or subscribe to RSS feeds. I subscribed to the “Home” feed, and I have been very impressed by the quality of the articles and their frequency (one to three a day, which is a manageable number). In addition to subscribing to topic feeds, you also can subscribe to specific news sources.
I’ve been subscribing to Brijit for three weeks now, and I feel that it is a simple, uncluttered way to stay informed. It also keeps paper out of my house, which is another benefit. I’ve found it to be a valuable resource and wanted to share it with you.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Printing to PDF
Reader Matthew sent us the following suggestion:
When you buy something online and the site says “Print this receipt page for your records” print it to the PDF printer instead of paper. You can print it out later if you must, and you have it as a record of your order number or parcel tracking number.
Matthew’s suggestion is terrific especially since you don’t need to have a full version of Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional to print to PDF.
On a Mac, go to File > Print, and then click on the PDF button in the lower left hand corner of the pop-up window. The PDF print software comes installed.
On a PC, download and install CutePDF Writer. The program is free and allows you to print straight to PDF through the print function.
On a Linux box, you’ll want to set up a CUPS open printer installation. And, as is the beauty of open source, it’s also free.
Thank you, Matthew, for your suggestion of another way to keep paper from cluttering up our offices!
Popularity: 8% [?]
Bringing your bookshelves back to order
I love, love, love books. The wikipedia entry for bibliophilia should include a picture of me with my nose in a book. I read between 10 to 20 books a month, and I almost exclusively read non-fiction. If money were no object, I would have a home library complete with rolling ladders, comfy leather chairs, and shelves full of my favorite books.
Money has not yet started to grow on the trees in my yard, so I don’t have the luxury of having a dedicated room for a home library. Until then, I have had to accept that I cannot keep every book I’ve ever read or hope to read. So, how do I decide which books stay and which books go? I follow these simple rules:
- Don’t keep more books than you can fit on available bookshelf space. If a book doesn’t have a safe place to live, you’re not treating it with the respect it deserves.
- Don’t keep books for the sole purpose of impressing other people. This rings true in business offices, too. Unless you’re a British literature professor, there is no reason to have the complete works of Shakespeare on your office bookshelves. Potential clients will wonder why you’re spending your time reading Macbeth instead of focusing on their case.
- Get rid of any book you’ve read, don’t plan on reading or referencing again, is in the public domain, and can be found in its entirety online. That’s right, I’m talking about ditching your Dover copy of The Scarlet Letter.
- If you live near a public library or a used bookstore, try to think of these places as an extension of your personal collection. Also, now that so many libraries have free audio books to download, using the library is in some ways more convenient than a personal collection.
Beyond these rules, I’ve found that books are best evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes, if a book is in bad shape, I’ll recycle it. If I’m on the fence about getting rid of a book, I’ll go online and find out how much it’s selling for on Powell’s — if it’s selling for less than $5, I’ll get rid of it — if it’s selling for more than $15, I will usually hold onto it. I also have found that I have difficulty parting with books that have beautiful bindings, so these books I have to scrutinize more diligently. And, don’t forget to ask yourself these vital questions each time you finish reading a book.
After deciding which books should go, there are many resources available to you. I’ve used or read positive reviews about the following services: Powell’s, my local used bookstore, half.com, PaperBackSwap.com, donating to the local library used book sale, BookMooch.com, BookScouter.com, and donating to charities that want specific types of books (nursing homes, literacy programs, etc.).
Good luck sorting through your books, and stay tuned for next week when I’ll discuss how to organize the books you’ve chosen to keep.
Popularity: 11% [?]
How to store your tax returns
Tax Day is just a week from now, and hopefully you followed Matt’s advice and have already mailed in your forms to the government. If you haven’t, well, get to it!
Now is the perfect time to get your filing cabinet ready for your next round of returns. Since you should actually KEEP your tax returns and associated financial documentation, you want to have a systematized method for organizing these papers. Why keep them? First of all, if you ever get audited, you’ll really want them. Secondly, in case of your death, these documents may be needed in the settling of your estate. Whatever the situation, you’ll need these in paper form and not digital scans.
Any returns older than 10 years can be grouped by decade. I’ve been paying income taxes for about 20 years, so I have a 1980s file and a 1990s file. Then, I have 10 working files for the most recent 10-year period. These are labeled “Tax Year 0″ through “Tax Year 9.” Papers for the year 1999 are still in the Tax Year 9 folder, and they will remain there until 2009’s returns are ready for the file. This year’s taxes were filed in the Tax Year 8 folder, and the 1998 files were moved to the 1990s decade file.
In theory, you could get by with only decade folders. However, I have found that often when my tax documents are requested that they’re for specific years. In these cases, it has been extremely convenient to just reach in and grab the exact file. These requests tend to happen the most often with documents from the last 10-year period.
Here’s hoping that you get a nicely organized filing cabinet and a big return from the government this year!
Popularity: 10% [?]
Your boarding pass on your cell phone
As paper becomes less and less important in the digital age, the paper boarding pass may also be a thing of the past. According to this New York Times article, at least six airlines are already allowing travelers to check in with their mobile devices. Although this check-in process results in a paper boarding pass issued at the ticket window, it saves you from having to print an additional copy beforehand at your home or office.
Currently, Continental Airlines has begun testing a completely paperless boarding pass. The Continental electronic pass allows travelers to pass through security and board the plane without handling any paper at all. Continental sends a bar code to your mobile device and it is then scanned by security and gate agents.
Although I love the idea of paperless boarding pass, I have little faith in the TSA agents actually being up to speed on technological advances. I hope to be proven wrong.
Photo courtesy of USA Today
Popularity: 10% [?]
Stop printing webpages and start using del.icio.us
In January, when we wrote the post Share your links with Unclutterer, we made the incorrect assumption that everyone knew about del.icio.us and how to use it. Since that time, we have received numerous e-mails asking us to explain what del.icio.us is and how to use it.
Del.icio.us is a website that allows you to:
Keep links to your favorite articles, blogs, music, reviews, recipes, and more, and access them from any computer on the web. Share favorites with friends, family, coworkers, and the del.icio.us community. [And] Discover new things. Everything on del.icio.us is someone’s favorite — they’ve already done the work of finding it. So del.icio.us is full of bookmarks about technology, entertainment, useful information, and more.
Most importantly, del.icio.us takes away the need to print out websites you’re afraid you’ll never find again. Instead of printing and then filing the paper, just save the URL to your del.icio.us folder and tag it so that you’ll easily find the website again.
To set up a del.icio.us account, go to the How to get started with del.icio.us page and follow the instructions. Then, if you come across a site that you think would be great for an Unclutterer post or Unitasker Wednesday column, mark it “for:unclutterer” (without the quotes). We’ll receive a copy of the link and your description to view.
Popularity: 13% [?]
Reader suggestion: Staying organized with binder clips
Reader Christine, author of the blog Compass and Coffee Spoons, has a terrific little suggestion for staying on top of paperwork. A traditional tickler file didn’t work for her, so she found a system that did. After learning about her process, I asked if she could write up a post for us explaining it. Thank you, Christine, for sharing your tip with us!
Like most people, I am constantly battling the paper monster. Though I am making strides in going digital, I had been struggling on how to organize the things I still receive as hard copies. Inevitably, there are things that need to be filed, paid, or acted upon in some way at some time that does not exactly coincide with the moment I first touch them. For me, letter sorters didn’t work — the papers would end up avalanching all over the place or would be sorted incorrectly. I had tried and failed to use a “to do” file folder; I personally benefit from visible reminders and would easily forget about them when I filed the papers.
After seeing small binder clips with “to do” and other similar words printed on them, I was inspired to create my own using regular large binder clips and a labelmaker. I printed labels on my labelmaker that read “To Do,” “To File,” and “To Pay,” placed them on the binder clips, and hung the clips on sleek aluminum pushpins on the inside of my coat closet door. The papers are out of sight when I want them to be, but serve as a visual reminder for all my “to dos” each time I open my closet door. The size of the clip also creates a limit to how long I can put off the inevitable.
This idea can be applied in various ways, of course. I can see it working on a bulletin board or wall in a home office, or inside of kitchen cabinets. (Magnetic spring clips could be substituted on a chalk board or other magnetic surface.) You might want to have one by the front door for papers you must bring with you when you travel. This would also be a good way to organize kids’ homework or household information you need to frequently access (for that application, I could see laminated sheets on a ring, with the clips as identifiers). You could also use color-coding — either painting them yourself on regular black binder clips or by purchasing clips in various colors. No matter where, why, or how, it’s a cheap and easy idea that can help you be a little less paper-crazed.
Popularity: 41% [?]
Paper clutter begone, part 4
One of my favorite parts of decluttering is shredding unnecessary paper. In fact, I love to shred paper. I think my love affair with the paper shredder is held in the destructive power of one small button. I flip a switch, and my papers are torn into tiny little bits! Bwah hah ha …
Unfortunately, I can’t shred ALL papers. There are some papers in the filing cabinet that actually need to be kept. I have developed a list of these essential papers, and I would like to share it with you.
Before we get to the list, though, I need to start by saying that cross-cut shredders that are able to destroy credit cards and staples are the best for personal security reasons. As a result, I recommend the following: Fellowes PowerShredder PS-77Cs for higher-volume shredding households and the QuikFinish ShredderShark SH8CDCC for lower-volume shredding households.
Also, if a lawyer, accountant, or special circumstance directs you to retain more information or paperwork for a longer period of time, you need to follow that advice! What I have compiled is just a standard list that should be tailored to your specific situation.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Paper clutter begone, part 3
As a continuation of my series of posts on curbing paper clutter, I want to talk about paper file organization systems.
No matter how much paper I try to get out of my house, the reality is that some of the paper has to stay. (My next post in this series will discuss which papers these are, so stay tuned.) I have found that having a good organization system in place is essential before you sort through the pounds of paper that currently occupy your filing cabinet or random boxes or whatever makeshift system that might be bringing clutter into your life. If the papers that you decide to keep can immediately be sorted into a proper organization system, then you will be one step closer to being rid of your paper-clutter nightmare.
After years of trying to go it alone, I finally admitted that I had a filing problem on my hands and sought professional help. One organization system, FreedomFiler, was repeatedly mentioned on product review websites as being the best system to help a filing cabinet gone awry. I’ll admit, I was skeptical. I didn’t see how a bunch of labels could be better than the failed system I had developed. And, at $42.95 it had to be a rip-off, right?
Wrong.
FreedomFiler is an organization system that did exactly what it claimed to do and brought sustainable order to the papers in my home.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Paper clutter begone, part 2
Continuing in my series of posts on controlling paper clutter in the home, I want to tackle the issue of manuals and instruction booklets.
In my recent past, I have had an obsession with holding onto every manual that came with what I purchased. I can only think that this hoarding had something to do with a little voice at the back of my mind saying, “but, what if I need it one day…”
Our filing cabinet is not the world’s largest piece of furniture, so finding more available space in it was a priority for my husband and me. When we started on our paper reduction plan, we had more than 50 current manuals in our top drawer, and now there are none. Here is the plan that we followed to clean up the clutter:
The obvious first step is to throw out the manuals for products you don’t own. (I’ll keep my mouth shut about how many of these we had in our files!)
The second step is to set aside the manuals for all major appliances that will remain in your house if you ever sell it. I put these manuals in a magazine file and then stored them nicely on a bookshelf. Manuals in our permanent file include the refrigerator, stove, built-in microwave, dishwasher, water heater, furnace, washer, dryer, and security system. It’s kind to pass these manuals on to the next resident of your house so that he or she will know how to operate the equipment properly. In addition to storing these paper copies, you also may want to apply the fourth and fifth steps listed below to these manuals.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Paper clutter begone, part 1
Three months ago, my husband and I hit our limit and knew that we had to get the paper clutter in our house under control. Our paper clutter problem has since been greatly reduced and I would like to share some tips for how we accomplished this task in a series of posts on the topic.
Our filing cabinet was the worst of our paper monstrosity. Crammed into folders were papers that we wanted but didn’t necessarily need in tangible form. We knew that there were some papers that we had to keep in paper form — like mortgage documents, tax returns, and insurance policies — but finding them was next to impossible because of all of the other clutter. Ultimately, we decided that we wanted our filing cabinet to only include those documents that were at must-keep status.
To rid our home of the unnecessary papers, we invested in the Fujitsu ScanSnap (available for the Mac and PC) and scanned all of the papers that weren’t vital for us to have in paper form.
The ScanSnap is surprisingly small (about the size of a football) and takes up less of a footprint than the papers it scans. It comes with a copy of Acrobat Standard, which means that in addition to the image of the document you can also OCR the text. In one pass, it scans BOTH SIDES of a piece of paper in color or black and white, and it even deletes empty pages. It’s fast (up to 15 pages per minute based on quality settings), and it automatically straightens your pages with its de-skew function. And, the Mac version integrates with DevonTHINK Pro Office for great organizational help.
After having so much success with reducing the paper clutter in our filing cabinet, we went next to our magazines. We pulled out each article or image that we wanted to keep and scanned it. Now, I have files on my computer such as “sewing inspiration,” which are right at my fingertips.
If paper clutter is overwhelming your home, I highly recommend putting the money into buying a Fujitsu ScanSnap for either your Mac or PC.
Visit the whole Paper Clutter Begone series:
- Part 2 — Organizing digitally scanned data
- Part 3 — Paper file organization systems
- Part 4 — Shredding unnecessary paper
Popularity: 27% [?]
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