I have too many books but don't have space for more bulky shelves. What are other forms of book storage?

Question

Something that still keeps books easy to retrieve, sort, store, etc. I just can't buy bookshelves anymore. Storage options that are inexpensive and use plastic preferred. :-)

Answer 1

I put a shelf in my office high on the wall above the door frame. It gave me lots of shelf space, but took up no floor space at all.

Answer 2

Maybe the shelves you have could work better. Do they go all the way to the ceiling? Built in shelves would make use of the whole wall. You can even have the shelves run across the top of a doorway.
If you store the books in boxes, keep a list of what's in the box so you can find them again. Pack the books flat on their backs (not upright on the spine).
Maybe you could think about taking up an activity like bookcrossing. "Our members love books enough to let them go — into the wild — to be found by others." It's a way of sharing books by leaving them in public places for other people to find and read.

Answer 3

well if your handy, you can by a couple of closet brackets, and a ten dollar piece of lumber that looks half way decent such as a laminated chip board,

1) ensure the closet brackets are long enough for the board, or ensure you can cut the lumber no wider than 6" longer than the brackets. also ensure that you buy screws, 2" drywall screws are sufficient
2) go home and find a wall that you can use
3) install the closet brackets on the wall ensuring that you install them level and into studs, most studs are 16" apart
4) put the lumber you bought onto the studs, and on closet brackets under them there are little holes and you can secure the lumber to the closet brackets with a small no longer than 1/2 in screw, good luck

Answer 4

We had a friend who used the concrete blocks and plywood boards and stacked them 3 or 4 high. Holds alot of books and is inexpensive.

Answer 5

I saw a neat idea where they put up shelves high overtop of the closet and down the stairwell.--didn't take up wall space that was used for anything.

Answer 6

Do you really want to keep them all? If not, give them to your library, take them to a VA hospital. The only books I keep are reference books and the Bible.

Answer 7

Pack them with some sort of dessicant. It's important to keep them dry.

Answer 8

Under the bed.

Answer 9

i filled my corners with them....great space fillers, easy storage, and very decorative if you do it right......use the tops for plants, (with water containers under them, of course)......put pictures on them, knick knacks.....everybody always commented on them......stack em high or low......whatever the corner calls for...and fill in wall space with framed art work.