Book Sorting Basics
A book is correct only when it is in the right category section and in the right same-title volume row. A title row can go on any shelf tier inside that section; alphabetical order is not the rule.
Placed vs. Correct
Section titled “Placed vs. Correct”| State | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Placed | The book is physically on a shelf somewhere. | This can satisfy bad-ending routing, but it does not finish a correct row. |
| Correctly placed | The book is in the correct shelf section, grouped with the same title, and ordered with its volumes. | This is required for normal completion, Efficiency Librarian, and Anti-Magic Master. |
| Correct category, wrong row | The title belongs to that section but the volume grouping, volume order, or row choice is wrong. | Fix it immediately; late cleanup is much harder once more books surround it. |
| Wrong category | The shelf section theme is wrong. | Use Books or Shelf Guide on a normal run. |
The Rule
Section titled “The Rule”- Find the book title under your crosshair.
- Use the book index or the title theme to pick the shelf section.
- Put every volume of the same title together.
- Order the volumes left to right.
- Watch for gold/red placement feedback and blue completion plaques.
Common Mistakes
Section titled “Common Mistakes”| Mistake | Why it fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Correct category, wrong row order | The game still treats the row as wrong. | Reorder the volumes left to right. |
| Same title split across tiers | A title row needs to stay together. | Move the split volumes into one row. |
| Theme guess from one word | Some titles can sound like multiple categories. | Search the exact title in Books. |
| Ignoring red glow | You lose track of the bad placement. | Fix red placements immediately. |
| Testing every category by walking the whole library | It is slow and easy to forget where earlier volumes were placed. | Work from exact title lookup, color clusters, or a known section batch instead. |
No-HUD Or Book-Spine Runs
Section titled “No-HUD Or Book-Spine Runs”- With the HUD hidden, book covers and spines matter more than the top-left title label.
- Use Zoom to read awkward covers before dropping or throwing books around.
- Keep same-title books together in a temporary local pile until you know the section.
- For a first clear, keep the HUD on; no-HUD is a self-imposed challenge, not the easiest route.