A continuation
by chuckofish
of yesterday’s post, but from the perspective of the other dual personality…
My sister is so right. What would we do without our books and our things? They give us comfort, transport us beyond the dull/frenzied routine of our daily lives, and remind us of what makes it all worth while — and of the people we love.
The objects tell stories. Back in the early 70s my brother rescued the 19th century bottle of embalming fluid from an old store attic in Athens Georgia. Somehow, I ended up with it. And somehow it just belongs in with the books. On my first trip to the British Museum back in the 80s I picked up the Lewis chess set bishop for my mother. Of course, the books also speak volumes (pun intended!).
Note, for example, my dear sister’s books nestled between Joseph Conrad and Shakespeare, who are in turn flanked by Kipling and Du Maurier — all my favorites together! The only organizational principle in this house is that we put things where we like them to be, or sometimes (to paraphrase Shirley Jackson) where they insist on going.
How do you manage your library?
dual personalities 
I try to be organized about how and where I put books, but I’m not very successful I’m afraid. And I have to say, you made it sound like you stole the chess piece from the BM–I’m sure you visited the gift shop there, but hahaha.
I believe that my need for “controlled chaos” is directly related to growing up in our wonderful house as compared to the perfect, but and impersonal houses of some of the people we knew. I still prefer dust bunnies and haphazardness. Can’t be helped.
I arrange my books much the same way, unsurprisingly.
When I was in about 5th grade I organized my books using the Dewey Decimal System, and I still keep them that way it home. Of late I have been criticized for not using the Library of Congress System. Here in California, sadly, most of my books are kept in boxes in the closet, due to lack of shelf space in my apartment.