Ulix Knowledge
Useful answers for people who keep information.
Books, private libraries, reading, personal knowledge systems, lending, and the practical problem of finding things again. These notes begin with the problem, not the product.
The first ten
Evergreen notes from Ulix
How Can I Search a Large Home Library Without Cataloging Every Book?
When the real problem is retrieval, a full catalog may be more work than the library needs.
What’s a Better System Than Sending Links to Yourself?
A capture system should make saving easy and finding later unsurprising.
How Do I Keep Track of Things I Lend to People?
The useful record is smaller than most inventory systems make it.
Where Can I Read Classic Books for Free?
Public-domain libraries make an enormous part of literary history available without a subscription.
Do You Really Need a Second Brain?
Probably not in the elaborate sense. A useful knowledge system can be much smaller.
How to Avoid Buying a Book You Already Own
Large libraries eventually exceed memory. The answer does not have to be a perfect catalog.
Paper List, Spreadsheet, or App: What’s Best for Tracking Things You’ve Lent?
Choose based on capture friction, reminders, search, and how often things actually leave the house.
How to Turn an Old Android Tablet Into a Dedicated E-Reader
A quiet reading device can be made from hardware already sitting in a drawer.
How to Manage a 1,000-Book Home Library Without Turning It Into a Project
Organize for retrieval and stability, not for the pleasure of maintaining metadata.
How Can I Read Classic Literature Without Amazon or Kindle?
Ebooks are files and texts before they are storefronts. There are several ways to build an independent classics library.