Home library books - design, plans and decoration

With the help of one of my visitors I have compiled an extended list of books dealing with home library design, decorating with books and some books of general interest for bibliophiles.

• At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries
• Candice Olson on Design
• Decorating with Books (House Beautiful)
• Design Ideas for Home Decorating
• Kelly Hoppen Home: From Concept to Reality
• Libraries
• Library Design
• Living with Books
• The Book on the Bookshelf

I would like to especially point your attention to Candida Höfer's Libraries. This book with Umberto Eco's introduction is a true masterpiece and would make a great gift.

For almost 30 years Candida Höfer has photographed interiors, mostly representational spaces accessible to the public, such as staircases, lobbies, reading halls or exhibition spaces. Rather than staging them, she takes their picture in the state she finds them, with great discreetness and a touch of humour.

Libraries are a book producer’s dream. Since nobody photographs libraries as beautifully as Höfer, it seemed only natural for Schirmer/Mosel to dedicate her next publication to the splendid and intimate cathedrals of knowledge across Europe and the US: the Escorial in Spain, the Whitney Museum in New York, Villa Medici in Rome, the Hamburg University library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, the Museo Archeologico in Madrid, and Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, to name just a few. Almost completely devoid of people, as is Candida Höfer’s trademark, these pictures radiate a comforting serenity that is exceptional in contemporary photography.

Reference book racks

Another passage from Matthews' "The Home Library" highlights an overlooked (despite being quite well-looking) piece of home library furniture - a reference book rack.

"For those who have but few books, which they must needs have at hand when they are working, nothing can be better or more simple than the two little portable, or rather movable, book-stands devised by Mr. F. B. Patterson. He calls the plainer a "Lawyer's Brief-Rack" (Fig. 7); and nothing can be handier for a lawyer hard at work consulting cases than this double row of reports and text-books kept ready to his hand on this pair of neat shelves, mounted on casters, and easy to roll into a corner at will. A slightly more elaborate design Mr. Patterson calls an "Easy-Reference Book-Stand" (Fig.8); it is intended to hold two rows of books of reference, encyclopaedias, biographical or geographical dictionaries, while the more bulky Unabridged American Dictionary lies on its side on a lower shelf, and an atlas—always an inconvenient book to store away—stands up in a pocket behind."

Jay Walker's Home Library

I am posting this for personal reference, more than anything else. Apparently, these pictures have been all over the Internet. Here is the original story:

Wired: Browse the Artifacts of Geek History in Jay Walker's Library

"The Home Library" by Brander Matthews

A curious little passage from Brander Matthews book "The Home Library". There is some good advice there, of course, (especially concerning the windows in a home library) but I especially enjoyed the style of Matthews' writing.



ON THE LIBRARY AND ITS FURNITURE.

If a man with a fondness for books has also money enough to build a special room to hold them, as did the late William E. Burton to contain his fine theatrical library, he ought to consult those learned in the law of book-protecting. He would be told that the library should have very thick walls, to exclude the damp of spring, the heat of summer, and the cold of winter. He would be informed that the library should have windows only on one side, and that these windows should be recessed, that the sun may not shine in too violently, to the increase of moths and worms, and to the destruction of bindings. He would learn that the library should not be a corner, and that it should be protected, if possible, by other rooms on three sides. There are those who advocate a library wholly without windows, and lighted only by a skylight, but this is too severe and cheerless an arrangement for a true book-lover. There should be no carpet on the floor, for carpets hold dust, and dust is a great danger to books. Rugs, which may be shaken frequently, are sufficient covering for the floor. The heating arrangements, an open fire-place if convenient, should be ample enough to warm the room without making it hot; the ordinary hot-air furnace is very injurious to books.

These, however, are prescriptions for those who carry a long purse. The ordinary American, for whose use and behoof this simple treatise is intended, is well satisfied if he can give up any corner of his house to his books. As often as not it is an odd room, useless for any other purpose, and cheerless at all times. Now, this ought not to be. The library should be a room into which every member of the family may feel glad to go. It ought to he bright and cheerful. It ought to be easily accessible. It ought to be warmed in winter, and protected from the glare of the sun in summer.

Library related terminology (obscure)

Here is a cornucopia of words produced with the help of the Greek word BYBLON or BYBLOS (book)

• Biblioclasm - the destruction of books
• Bibliogony - the production of books
• Biblioklept - a book thief
• Biblioklepcy - book theft
• Bibliomancy - divination using books
• Bibliomania - an obsession with books
• Bibliopegy - bookbinding as a form of art
• Bibliophagist - a devourer of books (well, not literally...)
• Bibliophile - a lover of books
• Bibliophobia - a fear of books
• Bibliopoesy - the making of books
• Bibliopole - a seller of books
• Bibliotheca - a library

Bookends in house library design - dragons, horse heads etc.

If you want your home library to have a certain thematic look, do not neglect such a simple design element as bookends. With some luck, you should be able to find just the right pieces of brass, metal or wood to perfectly accentuate your book collection. Among the bookends that I own personally own are some Renaissance looking ships, antique colonnades and elephants. I hope to post the pictures some time soon. You can easily find other creatures and objects, including fish bowls, chess pieces, medieval knights and sports memorabilia.

For a long time, one particular idea was associated for me with bookends: if you have to put metal horse heads on your bookshelf, you simply don't have enough books. Not having enough books can, of course, be caused by various reasons, but I my opinion none of these reasons were excusable. I was able to overcome this feeling, mainly due to acknowledging the fact that a home library differs from any other kind of library - it must feature certain design elements that turn it into a living space of a special kind. It is interesting then that bookends are somewhat unique, in a sense that they are designed specifically for the needs of home library owners. Why not use them?

One practical advice that you should keep in mind. Because bookends vary in style and material, you should choose at least the material that you are going to use for most of your bookshelves. For example, it is easy to go with brass or cast iron. This way you will always be able to add more bookends, even if it is impossible to find the exact matches for your existing ones.

Bookends on Amazon


See also:
Book accessories

Custom Book Binding for Home Libraries

Custom book binding is a good practice found in some academic libraries. This is done to make sure that the books not lucky enough to be published in hard cover can be preserved well and be used by generations of scholars. An owner of a home library has other reasons for book binding, because typically people are more mindful of their own paperbacks, so the possibility for damaging them is limited. The looks of paperbacks are a different issue, however, They easily fade, they lose appeal and they always look cheap. This is where book binding can help out a lot. You can end up with very neat looking hardbacks that would actually improve the look of your home library rather than cheapen it. Unless you are passionate about book binding and want to make it a hobby or even an occupation (which would involve investing in a book binding machine) your best bet is to find a book binding service. As usual, you can expect volume discounts or even negotiate better discounts if you are lucky and persistent.

How much does custom book binding cost?

A ball park figure for basic book binding is around $30 and it goes up very easily once you add options, request leather binding and so on. This may sound like a lot of money, especially if you are considering updating the look of a whole bunch of paperbacks. Keep in mind though, that you are simply paying for the features that you did not have in the original book that you own. Had you purchased a hardback to begin with, how much would that cost? Also, consider the fact that you can turn cheap paperbacks (as well as any other books you own) into superb editions that will greately enhance the appearance of your home library.

Here are a few links that can get you started on your quest for a perfect custom book binding solution:

Virginia Westray
Lynda's Custom Book Binding
Smith Printing Company