Amazon's Kindle may have some impact on reading in the future, but for my money, books are the ONLY way to read. Home is where your books are. If you cherish books you probably don't give them away once you've finished reading them. Before you know it you've got more books than space for them. Your bookcases are stacked double deep, and the books are getting covered in dust. Time for more bookshelves!
From planks of wood separated by bricks, and up to the finest hand-carved all-wood masterpieces, bookcases all do the same thing. The difference is one of price, need and preference.
Wood Library Bookcases
In order to find a bookcase that meets your specific needs, you have to ask yourself a few probing, personal and revealing questions first:
What type of books do you have Where do you want to put the bookcase How much of the shelves are for books, and how much for other stuff Who is the bookcase intended for
These questions will help you to define just what you're looking for, and this will make it easier to narrow your search. If the bookcase is intended for a children's room ("who) and is mainly for holding some books and a lot of toys ("how") then you'll be looking for something completely different from a bookcase for your living room that will be holding a collection of reference books and framed photos.
Once you have the answers to the questions above, you'd be well off to visit The Home Shelving Guide to choosing bookcases. We've put together a guide to help you find exactly what you need.
Since the term "bookcase" is a very broad one, we've defined a list of various types of bookcases:
Ladder Bookcases are free-standing units that are also very decorative. They look a bit like a ladder (duh!) and really catch your eye.
Corner Bookshelves are built in such a way as to take maximum advantage of unused corner space in your home
Leaning Bookcases are designed to lean back against the wall, and, like ladder bookcases, are very attractive.
Folding Bookcases are great for students and others looking for good book storage in an easy-to-move unit designed for temporary living accommodations.
Revolving Bookcases Not just for a dusty old library anymore, these units are a very attractive addition to any house.
Barrister Bookcases are great for protecting expensive books, as well as collectibles and other treasures. They are designed with closing glass doors on each shelf. Many models come with lockable doors too.
Built-In Bookcases are the most serious investment, and they also have the biggest impact on your living room. Proper design and a lot of thought should go into built-in bookcases before you decide to go ahead with them. Once they're in, you really want to be satisfied with the results.
No matter which bookcase fits your needs, you want to make sure that you find a good quality unit. If you mainly want to find storage for a lot of paperbacks, then even the cheapest bookcases will hold them nicely. However, if you own a large collection of over-sized, hard-cover coffee table books you might be better off investing in a stronger bookcase.