It’s a new year and people everywhere are resolving to organize and clean out. Let the library help you succeed with yours. Each of these featured books offers a unique set of principles, perspectives and plans to fit your specific pack rat personality.

New Minimalism: decluttering and design for sustainable, intentional living by Cary Telander Fortin and Kyle Louise Quilici. Explore your natural born tendencies (archetypes) and create an action plan to face your decluttering weaknesses and break it down in stages/steps. Traditional minimalism subscribes to a “less is better” philosophy, whereas, new minimalism exists as a middle path between traditional minimalism and over-the-top consumerism. Envision your new space to be functional while incorporating the authors’ twelve design principles. Embrace beauty, textures and color in our home. 

Easy Closets by Joseph R. Provey is filled with ideas for neat, space saving and budget-friendly storage, including construction plans, and a resource guide of manufacturers and associations of innovative products. Topics include best practices for linen closets, wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, coat closets, and more.

Decluttering Your Home: tips and techniques and trade secrets by Geralin Thomas is a practical handbook for planning and organizing everything in your home. I especially like the chapters on electronic files, digital photographs and digital decluttering. The last chapter includes forms to put cleaning and decluttering on schedule, specific task checklists and weekly planners.                                                                                    

Cut the Clutter: a simple organization plan for a clean and tidy home by Cynthia Townley Ewer. A visually appealing and no nonsense approach to maintaining a tidy home. Put cleaning on a schedule, learn how and when to use the various cleaning tools, and the rules for storage, and my personal favorite tip, Organize a Home Library “Borrow, not buy. Reduce book clutter…borrow reading materials from the local library.”

Complete Book of Clean:  tips and techniques for your home by Toni Hemmersley is a gorgeous book with recipes for using all natural products to make your home clean, safe and smelling great. The advice on steam cleaning your microwave using sliced lemons and water is so simple, refreshing and effective.

Many more resources are available through the library, so be sure to check the special display or ask at Information & Reference for advice for more!