Question: How can I shelve and organize nonfiction history and geography books? This answer is one of several of our featured answers. To see the other answers, click here.

Sandy Hall of Hall’s Living Library

Here’s my list of categories. Basically, it follows the DD system, just by category rather than numbers. Then I alphabetize the books by the author’s last name within each category. I might have added a couple more since I typed up this list.

• Religion – I keep my Bible stories separate, but put other religions here.
• Books and libraries
• Ships/Submarines
• Canals
• Trains/Railroad
• Pony Express – I may put this over with Westward Expansion history section.
• Travel
• Manners/Ethics
• Buildings/Construction
• Military
• Immigration
• Economics
• Slavery
• Education
• Presidency
• Government
• Words/Language
• Mathematics
• Games/Activities/Sports
• Geography – General
• Geography – World
• Geography – United States
• General History
• Ancient World
• Ancient Literature
• Ancient Egypt
• Ancient Greece
• Ancient Rome
• Middle Ages – History
• Crusades
• Middle Ages – Literature
• King Arthur Legends
• Robin Hood Legends
• William Tell Legend
• Vikings
• Renaissance/Reformation
• Pirates
• Exploration
• Europe 1500s-1900s
• Titanic
• World War I
• World War II
• Holocaust
• English History
• Canadian History
• American History – General
• Pilgrims
• Colonial America
• Williamsburg
• American Revolution
• Louisiana Purchase
• Westward Expansion/1800s
• Underground Railroad
• Civil War
• American History late 1800s-1900s
• Native Americans
• Aztecs/Incans/Mayans

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