# So many books! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 27, 2023, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168 "2023-08-27T01:12:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/41 "2023-08-27T20:33:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’ll bet none of them had been read. Maybe but not necessarily. Plenty of people care about the contents of their books _and_ the way they look on their shelves (and get upset when they can’t get all books of a series in the same binding and cover style). ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/42 "2023-08-27T20:45:15Z")
Yes, luckily no one putting anything on the internet has an agenda! ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/43 "2023-08-27T20:46:40Z")
Dang. I guess the 50 volume set of the Collected Works of Marx and Engels in our living room bookcase might be a dealbreaker. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/44 "2023-08-27T21:27:09Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Possesion of a large library used to be be a required status symbol of wealth, I suppose. Oh yes. I’m playing a video game called Pentiment which is a fairly accurate historical representation of medieval Europe. Apparently noblemen would commission artists to write fancy script editions of the most popular books despite never intending to read a page. I’m down to a small paper book collection now, mostly writing and philosophy. But my Kindle, which houses the bulk of my collection, is proudly displayed on my nightstand in its wireless charging dock so I can look at it every day and remind myself, I am a _reader,_ dammit! ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/45 "2023-08-27T21:35:40Z")
One of the things I did after getting settled in my house was have a set of bookcases built in along one wall of the office. I’ve had people ask me during Zoom meetings where I got the bookshelf background I’m using. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/46 "2023-08-27T21:42:36Z")
I’m now at the penultimate stage of this. I have boxes of books that I’ve read but do nor have shelf space for (we won’t talk about the shelves full of unread books). I keep telling myself that I need to unpack, cull, and dispose of books I know I’m never going to want to read again. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/47 "2023-08-27T22:53:35Z")
> [@Kropotkin](#): > > Yes, luckily no one putting anything on the internet has an agenda! the question is: do you pay real life money to read somebody’s agenda on the internets?? … and then make space for it in your living quarters?? . edit to add: … if not, … could it be that a book is just a fetish for some? ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/48 "2023-08-27T22:54:52Z")
I’m culling lots of books these days, as many are the equivalent of a mechanic’s wrenches and sockets: purchased for a particular job or project, or because “you never know when you’re going to need this, and if you don’t have it, when you do need it, you won’t be able buy one.” But new projects need new tools, and some possibilities I can afford to turn down, so it’s out with the imperial wrenches to make room for metric ones. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/49 "2023-08-27T22:55:41Z")
It’s a good question. But I don’t “surf” books the way I surf the net and so tend to spend real life money on ones I know will be useful or fun. Some I only purchase in e-versions. But I don’t much mind paying for books. They are an amazing bargain, as you’re mostly paying for paper and production: the genius, the inspiration, the fun, the insight are just about free. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/50 "2023-08-27T23:03:15Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > [@Al128](#): > > > > > [@Cervaise](#): > > > > > > Someone with no books in their house is someone I choose not to get to know further. > > > > you seem to confuse the **physical format** “book” with the drive to learn/acquire knowlege. > > > > I have few to no books, b/c: > > For most of us book lovers, books are more than just a way of efficiently acquiring factual information. Fine, but I don’t see the point of judging someone’s character (I assume that is what @Cervaise is doing) by whether they like to _collect_ books rather than by whether they like to _read_ books. The implication was that a person without books is a person who doesn’t read books, and who is therefore not worth knowing. You will find relatively few books in my house, but I think I’m a wonderfully well-read and literate person. Most of my subtle dry humor no-one else gets, because I read more than they do. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/51 "2023-08-27T23:55:36Z")
I was in a local Half-Price Books this evening (Sunday). Lots of teens/younger folks, in the book sections as well as perusing games and videos. Also quite a few alternative-looking people of more advanced age. Amazing, there are still people who enjoy books. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/52 "2023-08-28T00:09:57Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I knew someone who arranged their books by publisher and number - this was back before ISBN when paperback publishers had more or less sequential numbering. This is absolutely the best way to organize one’s vintage paperback collections. A couple thousand of my books are vintage paperbacks and they’re almost all sorted this way. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/53 "2023-08-28T00:27:01Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > A couple thousand of my books are vintage paperbacks and they’re almost all sorted this way. How else can you organize Ace Doubles? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/54 "2023-08-28T00:29:56Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > knew someone who arranged their books by publisher and number - this was back before ISBN when paperback publishers had more or less sequential numbering. The now sadly-departed New England Mobile Book Fair (which wasn’t even remotely mobile) organized their books by publisher – the only bookstore I ever saw do that. It was pretty annoying, although it was neat having all the Dover paperbacks in one place. In their later days the started segregating their books by topic, but not long after that they went under. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/55 "2023-08-28T01:22:59Z")
I stick them in with my science fiction by the name of the author I care about. Then again, I don’t collect them. They’re frankly annoying in every way. I just bought a few years ago when I was learning about the field. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/56 "2023-08-28T01:36:48Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I couldn’t help but notice that the books on the shelves behind her were all organized by the _color_ of the bindings. The Last Bookstore in LA has a “bargain” room with shelves of books sorted by the color of their bindings. Visually interesting but it might be hard to find a specific title. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/57 "2023-08-28T01:41:23Z")
My personal books are shelved according to whether there was room for it on the shelf when I decided to put it there. The books I have listed for sale are shelved by author in alphabetical order, shelf by shelf, and the shelves are also labeled as to which platform they’re listed on. Some of the most popular categories, like religion and cooking, also have their own shelves. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/58 "2023-08-28T03:26:13Z")
A past girlfriend was the crafty type and far fewer books than me, a hundred or so, but she found a supply of glossy paper in various pastels, broke out her paper cutter, and recovered all her books, writing the title and author on the spines in calligraphy. She’d read them all, but wanted a specific effect for the bookcase. Some people take the look of their spaces serious. (I’m accused of that, but I just went “1920s men’s club” and don’t worry past that). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/59 "2023-08-28T11:22:35Z")
The Boston Public Library, since its last renovation, has a “book mosaic” near the entrance that is made up of colored book covers. But this is clearly decoration – you can’t take these books down and check them out. [https://www.google.com/search?q=Boston+Public+Library+wall+decoration+colored+book+covers&rlz=1C1GCEA\_enUS1050US1050&oq=Boston+Public+Library+wall+decoration+colored+book+covers&aqs=chrome..69i57.21883j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8](https://www.google.com/search?q=Boston+Public+Library+wall+decoration+colored+book+covers&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1050US1050&oq=Boston+Public+Library+wall+decoration+colored+book+covers&aqs=chrome..69i57.21883j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168/60 "2023-08-28T12:20:10Z")
When I bought my house my first project was to build a wall of bookshelves in my basement office. It is divided into three sections. The far left section is fiction, the center is (mostly) biographies, and the right is everything else. Fiction is sorted alphabetically by author, biographies alphabetical by subject. The bottom shelf for all three section is for vinyl albums. I’ve since bought a couple of narrow Ikea shelves to handle overflow. There is a section of presidential biographies, a section of musician biographies, and a section of books on photography. Oops, one more bookcase next to the piano that contains all my sheet music and songbooks. mmm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-many-books/989168.md?page=4)