Get updates on the 500 books home-library challenge and join the newsletter

I am organizing all of my books to start a home library. I have always dreamt of having a private library in my home so this spring I have decided to start building one from my collections of books.

But where to start?

I have decided to first organize my dictionaries. To do this I used the method mentioned in this blog post

Those are the copies of dictionaries I own.

• English

  • Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament
  • HolidayOxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary

  German

  • Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testament Bauer-Aland

  Danish

  • Oldgræsk-Dansk Gyldendals røde ordbøger
  • Latin-dansk
  • Italiensk til rejsebrug Berlitz
  • Spansk til rejsebrug Berlitz
  • Ordbog/dictionnaire BerlitzDansk
  • skoleordbog x 3

I want a well-sorted and personal home library. That is why I will ask two questions for each category I organize. Why do I own them, and why do I keep them?

Latin, greek, and Hebrew dictionaries in my home library

Why I have them

I studied theology for many years. To read the New Testament in Greek and the Old Testament in Hebrew, we had to learn ancient Greek and biblical Hebrew. Latin was also a part of the curriculum for us to read primary sources. The big yellow one I found cheap at a bookstore sale and it stills make me smile that I made a good bargain.

Why I keep them

I am contemplating getting rid of the Latin ones because I can find a better edition online, namely the Lewis and Short latin dictionary. But the oldest one is a gift from my husband and one he bought in an antique bookstore, so I think I will keep that one.

An endless source of writing prompts

Truth be told it is not very often I use my dictionaries. It has been a long time since I had to use Latin, Greek, and Hebrew for my studies. The travel companions and Danish ones I keep because of sentimental value. I want to improve my English skills but haven’t decided how to go about it yet, so the advanced learner’s copy also stands unused. There are memories associated with that one as well because I got it when I lived six months in London as a young adult.

Instead of collecting dust, the dictionaries could be used, in an easy and fun way, as a go-to for writing prompts.

Action step | look up a random word in a dictionary and write for five minutes. Then write another five minutes conveying the word without using it in the text.

If this takes on as part of my writing practice then when I am away from my home library I will go to Collins online dictionary. It also features the word of the day. Today it was the word Rosarium – rose garden. On that note, I will end this blog post thinking about what a beautiful rosarium of words a home library is.

---