Welcome back! It's good to see you again. Please note that I am now publishing all new material at my hub site: In Context Blog

There is a problem that is shared by many of us in the busy, busy world of Web 2.0 - how to read everything that we get our hands on. Whether this reading is a book, magazine, article, blog post, or PDF we have downloaded there is a lot to keep up with and only so much time. Here are 4.5 tips for managing these stacks that just never seem to get smaller:

1. Dedicate a space to collect them. In the real world, you need a physical spot that is dedicted to the storage of your incoming reading material. Your Inbox is no place for the new Vince Flynn novel! In the digital realm, set up a folder in your email program and send yourself a copy of the blog post, PDF, or e-book. Gmail makes this very easy, as you can add the category to your normal email address with a “plus” (name+reading@gmail.com) .
2. Get these materials organized. Just because your reading materials are now in a container, does not mean that they are organized. Put the books and magazines in an appropriate order for your needs, and put a sticky-note on each one with an estimated time for reading. If it is just a magazine article and you don’t need the rest, then rip off the cover, tear out the article pages, staple them all together and put them in a file folder. Tag the sticky note or folder with the date it went into the system.
3. Cull while you organize. Have you collected some books or magazines that you thought that you should/would read but you know that you won’t, or don’t need to?  Get rid of them. Take them to the local used bookstore or Goodwill. Apply your GTD Workflow principles in order to maximize your reading investment. During the Weekly Review check the dates on each piece, this will make it easier to decide if something is worth reading or has simply aged out of the queue due to your disinterest.
4. Make an appointment for reading. I am a firm believer in setting appointments with yourself. You will always have bits of time here and there for reading, which is perfect for those magazine articles in the file folders. Your greatest efficiency, however, will come through making an appointment with yourself for getting the heavy-lifting done. First thing in the morning and just after dinner are the best times for me, your mileage will vary.

Bonus Tip: Carry a short list of the titles and authors of books you are interested in adding to your collection with you all the time. You never know when you may come across a reference to a new title, get a recommendation from a friend or associate, or (worst of all) find yourself in a bookstore unexpectedly. It is a terrible thing to be at the bookstore and have your mind go blank. What was the title of that book about blogging?