Has your collection of art books grown nearly as vast as your large stock of art supplies? Here's how to get organized fast so you can get the most out of your book collection and find what you need when you need it.

Instructional Books

When you're in the middle of your creative state and you need some advice on artistic technique, you want your how-to books to be right there beside you, not in another room up high on a shelf. Keep your how-to art books some place handy, in the area where you create your art. I like to keep mine in a bin, and I put a homemade paper bag book cover on each one so that I don't need to stop and wash the paint off my hands when I need to look something up.

Art “Gallery” Books

These are the books featuring the works of artists old or modern, great or small. We buy these books so that we can enjoy looking at these fine works of art, but far too often they are tucked away and forgotten. Keep your favorite art books in your living room or den where you are most likely to spend a relaxing moment that could be enhanced with a great book on hand. If you have a large number of such books, organize them on a shelf by type of art (contemporary, impressionist, etc.) or by artist.

Old Art Books

Do you have any vintage or antique art books in your collection? If so, you'll want to take good care of them to preserve their value. Keep old books away from bright sunlight, and make sure the room the books are in is dry and free of mold. Check around the edges where the walls meet the floor to make sure there are no cracks or holes where book-eating insects might creep their way in to your books.

Now that you know how to organize your art books, you can feel great about adding to your growing collection!