Sort Books by Title
I need to extract the first letter of the 'Book Title' to organize the classroom library.
=LEFT(A2,1) How it works: The LEFT function extracts a specified number of characters from the beginning of a text string. In this formula, `A2` refers to the cell containing the book title, and `1` specifies that only the first character should be extracted. This allows you to quickly generate a column of initial letters, which can then be used to sort your books alphabetically or categorize them for your classroom library.
Data Setup
| Book Title |
|---|
| The Great Gatsby |
| To Kill a Mockingbird |
| 1984 |
| Pride and Prejudice |
| Charlotte's Web |
Step-by-Step Guide
Open your Excel spreadsheet containing the list of book titles.
Assume your book titles are in column A, starting from cell A2.
Select cell B2 (or any empty cell next to your first book title).
Type the formula `=LEFT(A2,1)` into cell B2 and press Enter.
The first letter of the book title in A2 will appear in B2.
Drag the fill handle (the small green square at the bottom-right corner of cell B2) down to apply the formula to all other book titles in column A.