the reorganized library of Tolkien

Noted scholar John D. Rateliff has reorganized his Tolkien library - books by him and the ever-increasing number of books about him - and so have I, so since I just finished the main pass through the papers for this year's Tolkien Studies, for which I consulted that library heavily, I might as well tell about it.

I did this a few months ago, prior to plunging in to serious editing work on this year's Tolkien Studies, because I was dissatisfied with how things were physically arranged in earlier years.

I have two particularly heavy-duty uses for my Tolkien collection, both annual: 1) to check facts, quotations, and citations in submissions to the journal; 2) to organize and access books being covered in "The Year's Work in Tolkien Studies."

In the bookcase nearest my desk, to which I can just reach over and grab things, I've now devoted the shelf at arm-level to the standard Tolkien library: the designated editions of his principal works, with "The History of Middle-earth" volumes tucked up in the back corner lying on their sides, and the most common and useful reference works, like the Scull & Hammond Companion & Guide and Foster's Complete Guide to Middle-earth (which I'm always checking to remember whether a character's name has an accent mark or not).

In the other bookcase, the bulk of the literature on Tolkien. No longer in the special classification system I developed, since I found it too hard to remember where a given book was, they're all arranged by name of author or editor now. And, to save room, on their sides in piles separated by letter of the alphabet.

Back on the first bookcase, similar shelvings of the extra-small and extra-large volumes. And, upright in neat order, the series: Tolkien Studies, Hither Shore, Lembas Extra, the Walking Tree books, Mythlore since it converted to digest format (all the old bedsheet issues are in a drawer in a filing cabinet).

Up against that bookcase is a wooden device forming little open cubes about 12 inches wide, which I've long used for special projects. I'm now devoting two of those to new Tolkien-related publications. One contains the books for the current Year's Work, and as we're just finishing that up, I've just finished distributing its former contents of 2017 books to their proper permanent shelves, and filled it up with the 2018 books that were overflowing the other cube, which has newer material awaiting review or their turn at the YW.

In another bookcase, over near the door, is the remaining miscellaneous primary source material: different editions, translations, Tolkien's obscurer academic works. I used to have all of Tolkien's books over there, until I got tired having to get up and go over there to get books I was constantly consulting. Some overflow from over here will have to go over there now; I need to think about that. Also there: my Le Guin collection.

John lists a number of books he's recently acquired or moved. Some of them are not so new, and some of those I had to look up to remember them. I'm relieved that all but one have already crossed my field of view, and I've put the last on the next batch of books to order.