The Private Library
What a mind altering book. First of all the book starts way, way before books. It takes you along for the ride- when will people think of binding pages together into codexes? Oh, not yet?
By the time you get to books you are so ready to read about libraries but there is still a thousand years to wait for bookshelves.
As well, I'm at a part of the book physically where it is clear I need a lectern. Like, a book stand. It's not very big but each page is heavy. And also a book weight, to hold the pages open. Not having those things, I've paused reading for now and am building my library.
I give away books I've read and don't need for reference. This means I have a tiny number of books and they are either in a foreign language or completely sentimental. I don't believe in keeping books I am not going to reread. I also read mostly on my phone and computer. This is practical because it is free, so I can try books I might not like, and also the timeline from hearing about an author to reading their work takes only a few minutes.
So, how to have a library- maybe a bookshelf or a wall of books- when these are my natural, minimalist parameters?
I mulled this over for around a month before I realized I could display the reference materials as though they were books. I'm going to try putting them in springback binders so they look good on a shelf, and can come out of deep storage in the closet. This led me to the idea of displaying my completed sketchbooks in the same way. I keep them for reference and just have to dig through a box where they are vertically filed if I want to see my old ideas. This works fine but it is a box on the floor so bookshelves are a bit nicer. Of course I choose sketchbooks based on what I want to carry and not on what I want to keep on a shelf so these are staplebound and skinny. The spines are so narrow they couldn't hold a title. If I kept them several in one binder then I would only have one set loose at a time, when I needed it for reference.
This also led me to the idea of keeping my little projects in book looking containers. These are on order from Japan. The thought is they will look nice on display compared to the plastic tubs and wooden boxes I use now, while still being extremely close at hand.
