What is the best way to organize the English tools

[davidmedina]

I was wondering if anyone can suggest a way to organize the English Tools, some sort of categorization?

 

Thanks

[Andrew Mercer]

A couple of months ago, after a podcast, Dr J posted his library structure. I found it really useful, so I have attached it here. Also, on some of the podcasts and webinars, you get glimpses of other structures - all useful and reflect how uses think. I like Dr J's structure. The only problem was that I had to create it twice, once on my MBA and then again on my iMac at the office. It will be nice if we can sync the library structure through Dropbox one day.

 

 

DrJs Library.pdf

[R. Mansfield]

Here's my structure.

 

 

And in the Bible Dictionaries folder, I also created a couple of other folders for the IVP OT & NT dictionaries.

[davidmedina]

Thanks.

[PhilT]

David & Andrew,

 

My colection is not as large as Dr J's.

 

I spilt my texts into Texts, Greek Texts, Hebrew Texts, other foreign language texts.

I have a folder for English Dictionaries, Greek Dictionaries and helps, Hebrew Dictionary and helps

I have a folder for commentaries this contains study bibles, bible expostions of any kind such as Barnes notes, Beale & Carson, Tyndale etc

I have a folder for text critical contains all my notes and cross references for Bibles, the comfort text commentary, Net Bible and Net notes (see the podcast on text criticism.

 

I found this is easy for me and is self contained.

 

Leaving you in God's Care and Grace

 

 

Phil T.

Sydney

 

Hope this helps

 

 

 

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

Here's my setup:

 

I moved away from folders for anything but tools I don't use much, as I found drilling down time consuming/awkward. But I'm sure I'd feel differently if I had a larger library.

[Andrew Mercer]

Appreciate your thoughts Phil - I wouldn't know what to do with all of the resources Dr J has! What I have found useful is making folders to collect similar resources for easier access and focus. Blessings

[davidmedina]

Thanks everyone. I got a lot to go with.

[Julia Falling]

If you want another example, here's my organization. I took a bunch of modules out of folders altogether. I put my most frequently used Bible dictionaries at the top, then the others in alphabetical order in the first division. After that, in the next two divisions I have the iVP resources pretty much in canonical order. Then the "specialty" IVPs. At the bottom are the dictionaries I use least in roughly the order in which I use them. There aren't so many that anything is difficult to find. The folders following with titles that are descriptive for me have 3-4 modules each. I have reorganized more than once. I have also completely eliminated folders within folders. I think Dr. J said he had run into problems with a more complicated hierarchy. I don't like to have problems and decided to take preventive measures. I will never have a library as large as what Dr. J and Rick have. I don't plan on ever taking on Syriac. For my decent but not comprehensive library this works well. And remember, this is not an irreversible decision! You are wise to organize now so that, as your library grows, you already have a structure into which you can place the new additions.

[davidmedina]

What I did like of Dr. J method is that it helps those starting out, like me , to identify what each resources does. I am leaning toward doing a hybrid system sort of what Julie does. I don't have that many resources anyway, so I am keeping the resources I use most and know what they are outside folders and the rest on folders like what Dr. J has to remind me what each resource does.