I seem to have a few more books than I have bookshelf space for. They tend to pile up in corners. I end up 'doubling up' shelves, putting rows of books one in front of the other - which is annoying when you're looking for a book.
I could always get rid of a few, I suppose. But I went through them before the pandemic and took a few boxes to the Oxfam shop. I can't see that many I want to part with at the moment. What is it about books? I suppose before the internet came along, they were the nearest thing we had to it. If you accumulate a collection of books you find interesting, all kinds of fictional worlds and all sorts of information is at your fingertips. And then there's the poetry.
There's this wall in the room upstairs where I do my office work which I keep eyeing up for shelves. If I could completely cover it in shelving I'd have 32 extra feet of bookshelves. I've been weighing up the best way to go about it. I thought perhaps I should buy timber and construct a shelving unit to completely fill the wall. I'd have to work round the radiator. Alternatively, I could go for the upright strips with adjustable brackets and, once they were fitted I could buy the wood, cut it to size and... hey presto! Having looked into the price, I'm tending towards the bracket idea, probably with Conti Board shelves.
Drill, spirit-level, screws, rawl plugs... I've done quite a lot of this sort of thing over the years but not for a while. I'll have to take my time over it and get it right. I want these to stay up. I once saw a load of shelves fall off a wall. Fortunately they weren't mine.
That's if I get round to doing it... I might have to, as every time I enter my 'office' I can't help but look at the wall and start wondering how to go about it. It's becoming an annoying repetitive thought.
If anyone has any ideas or shelving 'dos' and 'don'ts' to share they will be gratefully received.
I was going to write this post this morning but I got side-tracked. I came across a YouTube video which I found completely enthralling. I just sat and watched it straight through. 265 works by Duncan Grant. The music is Drone in D by Kevin MacLeod.
I also have a hard time parting with books. We have done the bracket book shelves and still have them in two bedrooms. They work well but you want to make sure yours are strong since books are quite heavy. If possible the strips should be attached with sturdy screws to a place with a wall stud behind the wall so they won't pull out from the weight. I would also make sure the brackets you get are very sturdy ones meant to hold weight. You might get some suggestions from where you buy the strips and brackets. The nice thing about those is that you can easily adjust the height of each shelf. A wall of shelves can be a beautiful thing in my opinion!
ReplyDeleteThanks. You're right about getting strong brackets. Whenever I fix anything to a wall with screws I know there'll be (a) one screw that that refuses to be screwed in (cue: hammer) and (b) One that won't stop going round. I must do better this time.
DeleteI never want to cull a library. Someone is bound to come along later and really appreciate the one thing you did not value. Libraries are supposed to be random and eclectic, no matter what librarians may tell you.
ReplyDeleteYes. And then, unlike the internet, your searching of them can be random and eclectic.
DeleteThoroughly appreciated the opportunity to listen to Kevin MacLeod while looking at Duncan Grant's work. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteAll my books are in various wooden bookshelves that I've bought over the years, except for a few that are in a closet with the kind of bracketed shelves you described. I've let go of all the books I can let go of. It is a joy to read some of my books again and again. I don't foresee ever letting go of my art books.
The great thing about books you've read already is that you can dib into them: you don't have to read from beginning to end to know what's going on.
DeleteI remember the student's cheap bookshelves - bricks and planks of wood. But I prefer bookcases and a glass fronted one for special books.
ReplyDeleteI prefer bookcases. Glass fronts would be good - helps one to resist the temptation to stack bits and bobs on the edges of the shelves. Trouble is, this is upstairs and I'm conscious of the weight I'm putting on the floor.
DeleteRe shelves. On the Garrison there was a pine chap who made good shelf units which were not all that expensive (my tall one came from there) - remember when I pop my clogs you will have my two units.
ReplyDeleteYes. Thank you. Thing is, this is upstairs so I'd rather the wall than the floor take the weight.
DeleteDarling C,
ReplyDeleteWe identify with this post completely.
First, it seems to us that it is one of life's mysteries that however many shelves one produces, they become magically filled overnight. One can simply never have enough.
Secondly, we can never bear to part with our books. We justify this by saying that we will reread them or that they decorate a room or that so and so gave/recommended them etc. etc. So, they stay, silently filling shelves and bookcases to capacity.
Thirdly, we have had the catastrophe of shelves falling off the wall. It happened in the kitchen with a wall of china destroyed in one fell swoop. After this, our shelves always have supports underneath to add extra stability and strength.
Finally, on the topic of shelves is our complete admiration that you can construct said shelves yourself. All this talk of drills and rawl plugs is quite beyond us. If a job is beyond a single screwdriver then we have to call in the professionals and trying to find one in Budapest is like seeking the Holy Grail.
So, good luck! Take your time. By the time you have finished, you will need more....just saying!
Thank you! I waiting to see if the finished result will be full to bulging point - or whether I'll actually have bit of free space!
DeleteI wish I had good advice about bookshelves and brackets, screws and strength. We've been getting rid of our books for years. After we schlepped them in several thousand mile moves, we decided it was time to let some go. Now we have two beautiful bookcases. The bottom two shelves on each are filled with books, the top two with candles and fossils, seashells and dried flowers.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. I'd like some decent bookcases. This is upstairs though and I don't want to put too much weight on the floor if I can help it.
DeleteI thought that 2nd hand shops during lockdown being closed during lockdown would mean i could work through a good number of my books then pass them on to the local free library or save them for when the 2nd hand shops reopen. Which did happen but barely made a dent on the number in my shelves! I accumulate books that look interesting but will get rid of a proportion of them once I've read them. I have lots of old 2nd hand bookshelves.
ReplyDeleteHardly made a dent? That was my experience, too, when I had a book purge.
Delete