This collection of photographs and brief essays of the libraries of well-heeled bibliophiles makes for an enjoyable browse. Although I found a few libraries that inspired envy, I was most struck by the fact that, in spite of having the funds available, no one seemed to have a really well-designed and attractive library. Of course I coud just be extremely picky . . . ( )

I had to buy this one. It's got photos and stories about the libraries of real people. Some are well known - Keith Richards, Michael Graves, Bill Blass, Paul Getty, and so on. Most are unknown to me, but clearly have the means to house their large collections of books. I enjoy the cluttered ones most. The "Great Libraries of the World" list is disappointing - no information about the libraries, no distinction among the many libraries of a university, and no photos! I couldn't help wondering whose list this is.
But then I bought it for the pictures, stories, and ideas. ( )

This is a booklovers’ book about booklovers. It is a libraything for LibraryThingers.

And it is a thing of beauty. Understand, I have a whole shelf of books about books, about booklovers and their life of reading. But this one is different. You might think of it as a coffee table book, but it’s actually more of a library table book, one you will want to make available for your guests to browse in, to handle, to explore. And tucked inside, in a format in which you would hardly expect it, you will find a caretaker’s handbook, a practical how-to on storing, perserving, and displaying your books.

But it’s a little hard to make your way around in it. Browsers who want guideposts for browsing won’t find them; book keepers who want advice on keeping books may be hard pressed to locate the information they need. It’s there, but admittedly you’d like to see it pulled out and reshaped in a handy little, hand-size “handbook.”

Basically the book presents, in opulent fashion, the libraries of some forty-one book collectors. There are beautiful full-page color photographs, a few classic two-page spreads, numerous little close-ups, and succint text on each one, made up largely of quotations from the booklovers themselves. Now, granted most of them are wealthy and the books and the libraries they can afford outstrip most folks’ ability to emulate. Even so, you find libraries to admire, libraries to covet, libraries to inspire awe, libraries to invite you in, libraries to make you comfortable — and probably, one or two libraries to make you wonder, “What the . . . .”

Some of them are just too perfect for me. And at least one (believe it or not) has too many books and is too much a hodge podge. Probably my favorite is Nicolas Barker’s, who was himself a book designer and then a conservationist for the British Library. Someone says of his library, “You’ll have to do a lot of talking before you can convince me that there is any order or method in this collection.” But the authors add, “Order or method may not be the guiding principal behind Mr. Barker’s library. But affection certainly is.” Captions for some of the photographs may capture the character of his library:

“The groound floor . . . serves as both library and study. New and old books pile up on sofas and carpeting as shelves proclaim no vacancy.”

“Even the ‘loo’ serves as book storage, as well as entertainment for visitors.”

“All the way up the several staircases books line the walls. What will happen when they reach the roof?”

Barker says of himself, “When people ask me, ‘Do you collect books?’ I always say, ‘No, books collect me.’”

But you will find your own favorite. That’s what this kind of book is for. Booklovers enjoy browsing in libraries. So library lovers will enjoy browsing in this book.

Just a few of the quotations used for epigraphs will entice you inside (and demonstrate our obsessiveness):

“We were so fascinated by books and book people that we decided to make them a twenty-five-hour-a-day activity.”

“You can’t want to be a collector, you’re born that way. Driven.”

“Books are central to our life; the library is the heart of our house.”

“I like a project that never ends, and a library is that.”

By the way, different kinds of libraries are assigned to sections of the book, but the subheads of the sections (not printed in the table of contents) are a more accurate indication of the contents than the headings. Browsers need to know this. They are, libraries of serious collectors; visually inspired libraries; libraries designed by designers; the well-stocked [i.e., big] library; writers’ libraries; and reading retreats [the comfy ones].

But note: interesting libraries have nooks with special collections hidden away. Just so this book has very helpful little articles scattered among the riches; for example, how to organize your library, library lighting, the art of the bookshelf, bookplates, bookbinders and conservationists, library ladders (how many times have we needed one of those?), and the like, with a long list (perhaps dated) of resources at the end. Suppose you’re instructing the woodworker remodeling your house on library shelves. He needs to know, “Shelving 1 inch thick, 36 inches long, and 10 1/2 inches deep accommodates most books. If the shelf is to be longer, the thickness should be increased to 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 inches to prevent sagging.” Now you can’t get much more specific, nor more practical, than that!

Many of the libraries featured in these lush, glossy photos are truly drool-worthy, but most are way out of the realm of possibility for the average book lover. At times, the authors name-dropped rather heavily. A lot of reference was made to interior design and art concepts, which I'm not particularly familiar with and didn't expect. An unexpected treat was a handful of essays on issues such as "How to Organize Your Library" and "The Art of the Bookshelf." Some were overly-technical, but several were very interesting reads and many seemed quite useful for creating your own library. ( )

The ultimate in "library porn". How the rich collect, store and decorate their home libraries. There is a strong correlation between book collections and sumptuous furnishings, particularly oriental carpets! I love browsing in this book, and dreaming..... ( )