The Joy of Collecting Books
Over the past weekend I finally tackled a job that has been on my “want to do” list forever — organizing my living room bookshelf by author. I have random bookshelves all over the house, book carts in the bedrooms, and I also decorate with stacks of books. But the lion share of my collection sits on a decorative shelf that has, over the last year, grown crowded and messy.
Originally, I had no method of arranging it and then, as the fashion was for a bit, I had them sectioned off by color. That seems counterintuitive when I think about it, but I thought whereas it sits in the living room it might look better? But as the books stacked up and became two deep per shelf, it made it impossible to find anything.
So last Saturday I dove in, removed every single book and began the process of A-Z. I guesstimated this would take me a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon, but on Sunday as I set down the last book, I realized how how time consuming placing everything equally over the four shelves actually was AND how frustrating finding a “C” author when I was already through “S” (which happened more than a few times).
But what a great feeling to step back and see my collection, knowing I could put my finger on a title as I would in a library, which is really how all of us who collect books feel about our volumes- they are our own little library.
I have a few book that specifically celebrate the “sport” of curating a personal collection of books, and What A Library Means to a Woman by Sheila Liming is one that highlights Edith Wharton’s personal library and is “predatory reading for those of us committed, like Wharton, to harboring ‘an ethos of collecting’.”
I have not read in its entirety but instead it is one of those books I leave out and pick up when I want a bit of inspiration and I always take wisdom from its pages. It’s broken down into sections that any book lover can relate to:
The Library as Space
The Library as Hoard
The Library as Network
The Library as Tomb
It also makes a great gift for the book person in your life because it highlights the timelessness of collecting by sharing Edith Wharton’s passion for reading and desire for organization.
It occurred to me as I write this that collecting books about collecting books is the ultimate display of affection. As I removed and reorganized my own shelves, I realized just how much I love these inanimate objects. I love finding a book that allows me to explore another world in someone else’s shoes. I love writing a review to share with others in hopes they too will find a similar connection. And I love seeing that book on my shelf and remembering why it mattered to me.
I am a clutter free person by nature but the one thing I’ll never regret is the clutter of books. Having them in every room is both a comfort and a joy, and now I just need to begin thinking about another bookshelf!
You can find a link to What A Library Means To a Woman on my Bookshop link below!
