I have the majority of my cookbook collection on five bookshelves all in one room. The other day I had the urge to rearrange the room (it's a spare bedroom), so everything got a deep clean and each book was taken off the shelf, dusted, and stacked on the floor, the bookshelf was wiped down, and then I put everything back. However, it wasn't just a matter of proceeding one shelf at a time - I moved all of the bookshelves, which meant that I had precariously stacked books strewn across the floor with almost no room to maneuver around them.

The CookShelf app was invaluable to help get everything back in the correct order (organized by author) - it was easy to sort by author, follow along in the app. and grab the book I needed rather than look at each book and try to determine where it belonged. (Did I mention that the stacks were not neatly organized?) Score another one for CookShelf. Also, the app made me realize that I had neglected to add some recent acquisitions to my Bookshelf, so I was able to remedy that as well.

I usually reorganize the bookshelves once or twice a year as my collection grows and changes. I tell myself I need to let one book go if I acquire another one, but I don't always follow this rule. My husband thinks I'm mad to move half a ton of books that often, but like Goldilocks, I'm always in search of the "just right" arrangement. Also, it provides me an opportunity to handle every book so I can think about whether I really need it. Usually the answer is yes, but I was able to find a handful of volumes this time around to donate to the local charity bookshop. The shelves are all slightly less crowded - for the time being. Do you go through a similar exercise with your cookbook collection, and if so, what's your process?