Your library will most likely grow in small increments. Therefore, you can easily add a new bookshelf whenever you need it. However, if you put a little forethought into it your library can easily be planned out in advance. Some of the things that you will want to consider include:

The depth of your bookshelves - Purchased bookshelves usually have deeper shelves than your books need.

Where will you be putting your shelves? Will they all be in one room or will they be scattered throughout your home?

You can easily make sturdy, freestanding bookshelves out of birch plywood that you can paint any color you desire. These bookshelves will be easy to move and will also withstand the test of time.

Once you have your bookshelves in place you will want to think about how you want to organize your books. You can use the Dewey Decimal System, the Library of Congress classification system or simply consider what your family's reading habits are and then arrange your books that way. If you choose to organize the books based upon your family's reading habits then consider what room the books are in and the age of your child. You will also want to make sure that you keep all of the books from one series together and that you also keep topics grouped together. Place picture books that you will read to your child on a higher shelf, possibly even within your own bedroom. Biographical books can be organized according to the name of the person whom the biography is about, unless they are a series of books, which you would want to keep together. Historical fiction books should be kept together and then the other fiction books grouped together by subject (i.e. animals, adventures, etc.) Some other great sections for within your library include craft books and holiday books. You may also want to have a section for any religious books that you may have. Of course, your child may also want to keep their favorite books, or books that they have received as gifts, on a bookshelf in their bedroom. The point here, as you can clearly see, is to use your common sense whenever you are arranging your books in this fashion.

Take some time to carefully plan out your library ahead of time. This will save you both time and money in the long run. Whatever you decide will work best for you is fine. The point is to simply get the books out of the boxes and onto the bookshelves.