Bad Ass Bookshelves: Creative Ways to Display Your Books (Part 2)

Today is the continuation of yesterday's post on killer bookshelves. Short or tall, curved or geometric, wood or polyurethane, a bookshelf can be a way to express your creativity and even your philosophies.

Lighter than Air
Ok, so this bookshelf is actually part of a gallery exhibit. The concept is taking what we traditionally think of when we think of a bookshelf (heavy, bulky and immovable), and turning the concept on its end, turning the bookshelf into a delicate, airy chain. Though not technically available for public purchase, I feel like some quality time with metal snips and some heavy gauge hangers could yield something similar.

Bad Ass Bookshelves: Creative ways to display your books (Part 1)

Sure, a book is a beautiful piece of art to bibliophiles like you or me. But what is a Rembrandt or a Picasso without a gorgeous frame around it? Okay, they're still masterpieces, but you never see plain pieces of canvas hanging in museums. Likewise, a cool or interesting bookshelf is a great way to showcase your books and express your artistic side. For the next couple of posts we are going to look at some killer bookshelves.

Where has the Beauty of Bookbinding Gone? Exploring Gauffered Edges

In a previous post I talked about finding some beautifully bound books in University of the Pacific's library that had some beautiful designs stamped onto the edges of their pages.

A little bit of digging provided some insight into the rarely seen practice. The technique is called gauffered edges, and was popular in the 16th and 17th centuries before falling out of fashion.

More pictures and history of gauffered edges after the jump.

The Library as a Museum: Part Two

Another installment of our library as art series focuses today on the library as an artistic muse.

This view of the stacks at University of the Pacific's library can be the first trip down the rabbit hole for some

More photos after the jump

A quick thought on "Old Book Smell"

I'm one of those people who gives much credence to the smell of a book. I will burrow my nose right in the creases of a book and take a deep whiff. I've never given much thought to it, but browsing around on the internet I came across this gem:

"old book smell. Did you know? 'Lignin, the stuff that prevents all trees from adopting the weeping habit, is a polymer made up of units that are closely related to vanillin. When made into paper and stored for years, it breaks down and smells good. Which is how divine providence has arranged for secondhand bookstores to smell like good quality vanilla absolute, subliminally stoking a hunger for knowledge in all of us.'"
-Perfumes: The Guide


Now isn't that some food for thought?