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2MarthaJeanne
Remember, each different vote needs to be in a new message. These three votes all have the same question, which is probably not what you intended.
3lorannen
>2 MarthaJeanne: Yep! I thought I was missing something. Thanks!
4lorannen
Vote: Do your books just barely fit within the bookshelf space you have?
Current tally: Yes 5, No 17, Undecided 3
7mlfhlibrarian
>6 lilithcat: No, my extra bookshelf space is the sofa!
A couple of years ago I did a big purge/rearrangement of my books and managed to get all the fiction in order on the shelves without double-shelving. Sadly, due to my addiction to s/hand bookshops, I'm back to piling books up on the front of the shelves, obscuring those behind.
A couple of years ago I did a big purge/rearrangement of my books and managed to get all the fiction in order on the shelves without double-shelving. Sadly, due to my addiction to s/hand bookshops, I'm back to piling books up on the front of the shelves, obscuring those behind.
8lorannen
>6 lilithcat: Shelf is where the books are?
9Cecrow
Maybe we need to define 'overflow'? If you mean they all need to stack neatly and vertically next to one another on the shelf - then I'm overflowing.
But if you mean they can do that plus as many rows behind them as I can slide back there, some pushed sideways, the front row overhanging the front edge, a few shoved on top and not always spines out, a few stacks on top of the bookcase itself, stacks at ends of makeshift rows to effectively act as bookends for other books - then I'm fine, no overflow here, how are you?
But if you mean they can do that plus as many rows behind them as I can slide back there, some pushed sideways, the front row overhanging the front edge, a few shoved on top and not always spines out, a few stacks on top of the bookcase itself, stacks at ends of makeshift rows to effectively act as bookends for other books - then I'm fine, no overflow here, how are you?
10casvelyn
What is this "extra bookshelf space" of which you speak?
Seriously though, I come from a large family of avid-readers-who-love-to-give-books-as-presents, so I was playing bookshelf tetris before I could even read.
Seriously though, I come from a large family of avid-readers-who-love-to-give-books-as-presents, so I was playing bookshelf tetris before I could even read.
11shadrach_anki
I am not sure I have ever had a time when my shelves *weren't* overstuffed and overflowing. At present, I am at least 22 IKEA Billy bookcases away from being able to "properly" store all my books (catalog stats say I need 24.14, I own 2 full-sized ones, and I haven't finished cataloging my books)
>10 casvelyn: Bookshelf tetris is a time-honored tradition in my home as well. Sure, I would *like* to have beautifully curated shelves with everything tucked in just so, a proper library space, but the reality is more like...crazy cat lady, but with books. :D
>10 casvelyn: Bookshelf tetris is a time-honored tradition in my home as well. Sure, I would *like* to have beautifully curated shelves with everything tucked in just so, a proper library space, but the reality is more like...crazy cat lady, but with books. :D
13MarthaJeanne
Vote: Do you have extra wall space where you could add another bookcase?
Current tally: Yes 14, No 8, Undecided 5
14lilithcat
>13 MarthaJeanne:
Actually, I do.
When I moved here, I had floor to ceiling bookcases installed in one room (and I have acquired a number of freestanding cases in addition to the ones I brought with me). I was excited at having empty shelves!
Now, quite a few years later, books are double-shelved, lain horizontally on top of other books, piled on the floor, the wooden radiator covers, just about any flat surface.
I have been staring at the dining room wall where the sideboard currently resides. It would work very well for more bookshelves. So I’m thinking about where I can move the sideboard.
Actually, I do.
When I moved here, I had floor to ceiling bookcases installed in one room (and I have acquired a number of freestanding cases in addition to the ones I brought with me). I was excited at having empty shelves!
Now, quite a few years later, books are double-shelved, lain horizontally on top of other books, piled on the floor, the wooden radiator covers, just about any flat surface.
I have been staring at the dining room wall where the sideboard currently resides. It would work very well for more bookshelves. So I’m thinking about where I can move the sideboard.
15Jarandel
My books just about fit available shelving (with some double shelving in places), but then 99% of my purchases over the past few years have been ebooks which probably helped.
16lorannen
>11 shadrach_anki: I used to liken my library to existing in a gaseous state: my books would expand to fill the space given. But that is clearly false. They are much more like tribbles, which are, I think, a solid?
>13 MarthaJeanne: We moved recently, and it turns out the giant bookcase wouldn't fit up the stairs where it was supposed to, so, technically, yes, we do have wall space where we can (and will!) put another one.
>13 MarthaJeanne: We moved recently, and it turns out the giant bookcase wouldn't fit up the stairs where it was supposed to, so, technically, yes, we do have wall space where we can (and will!) put another one.
17Lyndatrue
>16 lorannen: Please send your giant bookcase to me. I *promise* I'll give it a good home.
I've cleaned out my library enough times to know that it's not helping. When I retired (in Feb 2006), I reduced my library by at least 3/4, giving things away, donating where it seemed useful, selling if I thought someone would give money for it (and it wasn't worthy of donating). I restricted myself to the bookcases in one room, and made an exception for cookbooks (which are in the kitchen, in their own bookcase). Then I made another exception for the rare/valuable books (they're in a room on glass shelves). I made another exception for sewing books...
I do have less books than I did. Maybe.
I've cleaned out my library enough times to know that it's not helping. When I retired (in Feb 2006), I reduced my library by at least 3/4, giving things away, donating where it seemed useful, selling if I thought someone would give money for it (and it wasn't worthy of donating). I restricted myself to the bookcases in one room, and made an exception for cookbooks (which are in the kitchen, in their own bookcase). Then I made another exception for the rare/valuable books (they're in a room on glass shelves). I made another exception for sewing books...
I do have less books than I did. Maybe.
18lilithcat
>17 Lyndatrue:
I've cleaned out my library enough times to know that it's not helping.
It's astonishing how "cleaning out one's library" never helps. I have 7 bags of books sitting on the floor of my study awaiting transport to a local used bookstore and a charity book sale, and you'd never know it from looking at my shelves. (I always try to donate more books to those book sales than I come home with. Sometimes I'm successful, but not always. And that bookstore gives me more in credit than cash, so, of course, I always take the credit!)
I've cleaned out my library enough times to know that it's not helping.
It's astonishing how "cleaning out one's library" never helps. I have 7 bags of books sitting on the floor of my study awaiting transport to a local used bookstore and a charity book sale, and you'd never know it from looking at my shelves. (I always try to donate more books to those book sales than I come home with. Sometimes I'm successful, but not always. And that bookstore gives me more in credit than cash, so, of course, I always take the credit!)
19tardis
>18 lilithcat: - Same here. Spare room is piled with books waiting to be searched to see if they have any actual value, books that are not valuable and need to be boxed and taken to charity, and books that are worth more than $20 and will eventually get listed on eBay.
My shelves are so overloaded that they're stacked sideways and falling off the edges. You can't tell that I've removed a couple of hundred books in the last few months.
As far as adding shelves... We have an inefficient old teak wall system in the living room, and we've discussed replacing it with something that has more usable/efficient shelving. There aren't many other places that we can put shelves, though.
My shelves are so overloaded that they're stacked sideways and falling off the edges. You can't tell that I've removed a couple of hundred books in the last few months.
As far as adding shelves... We have an inefficient old teak wall system in the living room, and we've discussed replacing it with something that has more usable/efficient shelving. There aren't many other places that we can put shelves, though.
20foggidawn
When I moved to my current house, I decided to use the dining room as a library -- my table goes nicely in the kitchen breakfast nook, and it's not like I host a lot of dinner parties! So, I have shelves lining the walls in that room, though in writing this I thought of a way to rearrange and add another shelf...
My books mostly fit in the space I have, though somehow there's always a pile in the corner and another on top of the low shelf in front of the window, and another on my desk awaiting cataloging -- and several books slotted in horizontally on top of the books on the shelves, because I will have to shift in order to fit them where they should go. And I'm always trying to get rid of ones I don't want to keep. I gave away two large reusable shopping bags full earlier this month, but you'd never know it.
My books mostly fit in the space I have, though somehow there's always a pile in the corner and another on top of the low shelf in front of the window, and another on my desk awaiting cataloging -- and several books slotted in horizontally on top of the books on the shelves, because I will have to shift in order to fit them where they should go. And I'm always trying to get rid of ones I don't want to keep. I gave away two large reusable shopping bags full earlier this month, but you'd never know it.
21lorannen
>17 Lyndatrue: Thank you for the offer! I would gladly share my extra shelving with you if I could. However, we simply left the giant bookcase (one of these) on the ground floor, and it is, of course, double-shelved. We'll just have to get another (if slightly smaller) bookcase for the upstairs. ;)
