Chances are you have amassed a large collection of CDs, DVDs and heck, even VHS tapes over the years. A home media library can grow quickly and before you know it, you are drowning in a sea of your favorite media. It truly can become a disorganized mess if you are not careful. Thankfully, there are ways you can take back control of the collection. You should be able to organize your home media library by taking five easy steps.
Buy Specialized Organizers
The first step is to buy specialized organizers for your media library. Look for organizers that specifically fit your most common CD and DVD cases. If you do not keep the discs in cases, then look for books full of sleeves. There are standing racks and cabinets available today. Buy enough so that you have more space than you currently need to accommodate your growing collection.
Go Online
You can save space and make organizing your collection easier by going online. You could buy digital versions of movies and music. You could copy CDs and DVDs to a hard drive and put the originals in storage. An added bonus is that you can put digital files in the cloud so that they are accessible from anywhere.
Come up with a Consistent System
The next step is to come up with a consistent system as you start to fill your racks, cabinets or sleeves with CDs and DVDs. Figure out if you want movies and music organized by genre, alphabetically or by the release date. Pick a system that is easy to remember and easy to manage. Add new media to your organizers using the system you develop.
Create a Detailed Catalog
The last step is to create a detailed catalog. List all of the files, CDs and DVDs in your library. You could even number shelves or racks so you know where they are located. A catalog lets you quickly see what you own so that you do not duplicate items in your collection. It also helps you to find a particular disc or file fast.
Get Rid of What You Do Not Want
The next and final step is to get rid of what you do not want. Go through and throw away damaged discs or tapes. If you want to get rid of some CDs and DVDs that still work, then you can go to a site like http://www.decluttr.com to sell them. You could also donate or give away unwanted media. This will give you more space in your home.
Remember to review and maintain your media library over time. Make sure everything is organized and in the correct place. Do this each season or at least once a year. Go through these five simple steps again if your collection starts to fall into disarray.