I have received a request for tips on organizing one's tatting reference library.
The tatter wrote: "Here is my problem. I have a dozen big, fat, basically unorganized notebooks of tatting patterns! These are the “one copy that you make for your personal use” from patterns that designers have freely shared on the internet. Some of these patterns (often in another language, or from a discontinued website) would be very difficult for me to find again. And some are patterns that have my notes about the pattern all over them. I’m not ready to turn loose and go paperless yet. At the same time, as I go through the clutter, I am finding that I have often liked the pattern so well that I have four copies printed off in four different years! Organization could help me not waste paper and ink on multiple copies."
This problem is one that I understand well and deal with almost daily. I, too, began with standard 3-ring binders. I have them still. They are labeled by year. Most of them contain a copy of each lesson studied in the Online Tatting Class from 1999 to date. I, too, intend to go digital and get them scanned. But I much prefer a paper copy in my hand.
Using those recyclable foldable paper file holders and any other old plastic and metal ones, I sort out the new books which have recently been reviewed, old needlework publications and magazines. Non-English language pubs will next get labels in English showing the author's name and the title of the book in English.
The next step I took was to file alphabetically all the English language pubs including multi-lingual books. In the case of very prolific tatting designers, one or more holders are dedicated to that tatter. The temporary sorting notes are on each holder. But do not label these initial holders yet! Wait until you have found a space for all the books on hand first. Then add spaces and empty holders into which your library can expand.
The next challenge are those tatting books published in foreign languages and using non-Roman alphabets. Filed by language first, then the author's name and the title last. The non-Roman alphabets require translating and transliteration. For those books, labels are printed and added to the book spines. This info is also copied inside the cover of the book. A separate "to be filed" space is on this shelf also.
The next section is the most difficult. These are the public domain books, booklets, needlework publications and single pages accumulated through purchase, trade or copy. These books are not always marked with the tatter's name. Just as often the date of publication or publisher and even the place of publication are not included. These patterns may be to be protected with plastic page protectors or bound into books.
Be on the lookout for modern reprints that may supply publishing info. Also watch for a list of publications by the same publisher in the back of the book.
Keep plenty of holders on hand and try to sort the new publications are you get them.
