Presentation is Key - Blog

Is this thing on?
*taps microphone*
Whew, it’s been a while. Hopefully, I still know how to do this?

Today I want to ask you a question. Not a hard one, don’t worry. I want to know how you display your books. There are tons of images online of “trendy” or “unusual” book storage solutions that people have come up with. 

I see myself as more of a traditionalist, bookcases. Lots of them. 
I have five currently in my home and many piles of other books floating around the house. There’s even a stack of five on my nightstand. Just in case I get trapped in bed for a week? ​

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Bookshelves to me are a way to show your love for words in a way that reflects you. As a bookcase person, I probably come across as traditional, utilitarian, or maybe even stuffy. If you have piles and stacks haphazardly around your home, perhaps you’re carefree or a rulebreaker. Then there are the shelves that look more like art installations than practical book storage solutions. Are those people more creative, or a “better” book lover because they want to show off their novels in a funky way? Or are they not true book readers and just have shelves for show? 

There are endless ways to think about people and the care they take for their books and not just books. The way someone treats a book says a lot about their personality. A spine cracker, or if you read with the dust cover on, or are you only an e-reader connoisseur? That tells a lot about a person as well.

As I set up my new office and pulled all of my neglected books out of their cold storage, I had a choice. Function or art? I chose both. My shelves are Ikea shelves (I have two of them) that are large enough to hold twenty or more books a cubby and then a few trinkets for decoration. I planned for expansion and visibility. For so long my loves have been trapped within cardboard, I just had to let them out to breathe and see fresh air.

So how do you display your book? Let me know in the comments below and if you’re bold enough, attach an image to inspire others!

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