Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Large Bookcase

large_bcase (Medium)

Despite the time it takes to scan book covers, and the stress it is probably putting on my elderly Canon scanner, I am still enjoying displaying my library. I trust all who visit Eye Candy for Bibliophiles find it a salutary experience as well.

As you see, the large bookcase lives up to its designation. It was custom built twenty or so years ago when we first moved into this dwelling. Measuring 9 ft by 9ft, the shelves are made of pine, now mellowed over the years to a deep honey colour. Despite being custom built it can be taken apart, as the three vertical sections are separable, and all the shelves can be adjusted and removed.

The contents represent the bulk of my fiction collection which covers popular, literary and classical fiction of all sorts, acquired over forty something years. The shelving of the books actually has a system, in that I generally shelve books under imprint, e.g. most of the penguins are shelved together, though over the years it has all gotten a bit out of hand as space became an issue.

However, you will be surprised by what I have in this bookcase – quite a few rare old editions and then some.

2 comments:

Arianne said...

Shelving has always been a major problem for me. As a student, I've got a tight budget (which tends to go straight to books) so sturdy book cases have been tough to find. I'm making do with IKEA-type faux wood (I'm terrified of them collapsing) with glass doors, so I'm full of envy with your wall-to-wall display.

Anne S said...

Arnique, I started off with planks of wood supported by bricks. Then I purchased some mahoganey shelving and a boyfriend made me some wooden blocks to support the shelves. I've only had real bookcases for the last twenty four years and they're all full.