The Adams family library in Massachusetts is a monument to one family’s tradition. Established in 1873, “the Stone Library is home to over 12,000 volumes, reflecting the literary tastes and interests of four generations of Adams men and women, beginning with John Adams in 1768.”

Though this thirst for knowledge began with John Adams, it was his son John Quincy who formalized the ideal, making provision in his will for a fireproof library to be erected.

By contrast, our Bontrager family library is nowhere near 12,000 volumes. To date, our bookshelves contain over 500 books. Though, to be fair, I might contest that the Adamses had a pretty good head start.:)

For both Cassidy and me, our love for reading began years ago as we grew up in homes that valued good books. In our family, we continue that tradition, hoping to pass the love of learning on to our children.

No matter how few or many books you own, you can instill a love for good books in your family. Today’s post will give you six practical suggestions to help you establish your own family library.

1. Understand the Power of Reading

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones once famously observed, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” 

Every new book is a conversation waiting to be had. Through reading, you open your mind to an author’s best ideas in their most condensed form. And you can still learn even if that author has been dead for many years.

In this wonderful way, books allow readers to transcend both time and space, introducing new people, ideas, and places. Growing up, I voraciously read biographies, history, historical fiction (the Henty books were my favorites in this department), encyclopedias, and titles on Christian living, business, leadership, and communication.

The right books exercise the mind. As Paul exhorted Timothy “Bring the books!” (2 Timothy 4:13). Check out this post to further understand why Christians should read. 

2. Prioritize Scripture

While books are beneficial to an extent, every book but the Bible has one fatal flaw–it was penned by a sinful human being. This means that no amount of education can ultimately answer our personal or social struggles.

Ecclesiastes 12:12-13 says, “And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

For the Christian, books can be a tool to help us better perform our Christian duties. As we read, we must look to scripture as the infallible filter for all ideas.

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from The Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book.”

3. Create a Wishlist

Like food, not all books are equally nutritious. Further, like food, a healthy diet of books must contain variety. As you build your library, strive to cultivate a balanced and discerning diet.

Recently, our family purchased around 45 books for our big fall book order. This list included books for Cassidy and I, but it also included children’s books. Wallace can’t seem to get enough of them these days!

Here’s how you can start a wishlist:

1. Find friends who have a taste for good books and ask them for their top recommendations.
2. If you benefited from a book, search the bibliography in the back for more titles.
3. Check out the suggested books in Joshua’s Library.

4. Find Great Books at Bargain Prices

Once upon a time, books and Bibles were inaccessible to the common people, belonging only to the elite. Thankfully, today you can purchase new books for $10 or $20 at many bookstores. Even better, you can purchase good quality used books for $3 to $5 on ThriftBooks.com, ABE.com, or Amazon.

As of now, ThriftBooks is our family favorite place to find books, because they offer free shipping for all orders over $10.

If you’re willing to do a bit more browsing, search local thrift stores. You can also check out the discounted book section at bookstores.

5. Establish Your Family Library

Once you’ve taken stock of your collection, the fun begins! Where can you house all these books? How will you organize them? Use your creativity.

In our house, we have several “book corners” with bookshelves. Generally, we try to organize by category. We have shelves with history, political titles, business, leadership, theology, and so on.

Even Wallace enjoys the organization. He knows which shelves are for him and which are not.

6. Create a Reading Plan

Purchasing a book is just the beginning. To make the most of your books, you need a working strategy. Here are several important elements:

1. A place–Where will you read? Growing up, my wife often read outside on her family’s front porch.
2. A time–Before work in the morning, around lunch, in the afternoon, or before bed?
3. A list of books–Personally, I find it helpful to go through several books at once, so I never get stuck in the same one.
4. A learning discussion with others–As a family, take turns discussing what you’ve learned. Or read books out loud.
5. Discernment and application–How does the book line up with scripture? What did you learn? How will the book make you a better steward in important life areas?

Who Is Influencing You?

A friend of mine once challenged me to “be a lover of good books and a lover of good men.” I believe that my friend grasped an important truth that we often miss. Whether for good or ill, we are being influenced every day.

To paraphrase Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, the books we read and the people we meet shape our lives in powerful ways. You cannot avoid being influenced. The important question is this: “Who is influencing you?”

Question: What does your family library look like?