Owning books vs ebooks: New study

"Participants described being more emotionally attached to physical books, and said they use physical books to establish a sense of self and belonging. Participants across age groups frequently spoke about their nostalgia for certain childhood books. They also talked about experiencing physical books through multiple senses — describing, for example, the sound, smell and tactile experience of opening a new book, and the ability to highlight or write notes on paper pages. Participants also said they use their physical book collections to express their identity to others who might be perusing their shelves. E-books did not have these associations."
University of Arizona

Zex bookshelves

Each of these elements can be in five different color solutions. Shelves made of veneered boards and sheet metal.
Leo D'uk

Wave bookshelf

A customizable bookshelf where each separate layer can be moved independently. The clever system allows the user to create any shape for the bookshelf. Simply slide it in the desired position and lock the full shape in place by just one single screw for the whole bookcase. Made of solid pine wood and available in multiple heights. Layers can be added or removed to get the ideal height.
Dimensions: Height: 130 cm (51”) Wide: 60 cm (24”) Deep: 38 cm (15”)
Studio Lorier 

Penguin Huddle bookshelf

SCP were invited by Penguin to create a new home for books. The result is an original design by Jasper Morrison, manufactured by SCP, named the Penguin Huddle. It is an adjustable book clamp that provides a new way to store books and can be placed anywhere around the home or workplace.
The Penguin Huddle is made from two sections of folded aluminium joined together with a sliding mechanism. It can hold between 15 and 25 books and accommodates paperbacks of all sizes.
This new design explores how we experience books, connecting the way we read with the way we live.
W 24-39   D 13   H 15 cm
SCP

Corda (Rope) bookshelf

The Rope is a project developed in the context of architectural spaces. I relied on the simplicity of the supporting structures in architecture to develop a minimal bookcase that requires very little space and few materials. It is supported by only two structure points and therefore it is suspended.
Pedro Carvalho

The Second Shelf: One woman's fight to keep great female writers on shelves

Book collectors help determine which writers are remembered – and which are forgotten. Author and book dealer AN Devers explains how seeing female authors being undervalued inspired her to start The Second Shelf project.
More at The Guardian

Earthquake-proof bookcase

Because all the shelves of the bookshelf are inclined, people can easily climb without a ladder, and books of high position can be easily taken out and put in. In addition, books don't collapse when an earthquake occurs.
Shinsuke Fujii Architects
Photo: Tsukui Teruaki

Book Towns in The Irish Independent

Book Towns in the Daily Mail

Have you ever thought of going on a literary holiday, travelling to dedicated book towns? Well, you will now. Journalist and author Alex Johnson has written the world’s first directory of paradises of the printed world. Featuring 45 locations in 30 countries from France to Finland, New York to Norway, all illustrated with delightful photographs, there isn’t a place in here you won’t want to visit. A must-have for explorers and bookworms alike.

Daily Mail

Comb bookcase and bench

The modular design allows you to use the single element as a bench for indoor and outdoor use, or a combination of various elements, changing it into a large bookcase. The design is characterized by a series of decorative and structural grooves which lighten the weight of each module.

Design: Paolo Ulian + Moreno Ratti

Photo: Enrico Amici

 

IVO desk bookcase

75cm H x 140cm W x 60cm D
Weight 33.28 kg
Wayfair

IVO bookcase

18mm Melamine faced chipboard. Supported weight: 55kg
Wayfair

Book Towns in The Guardian

Book towns started with Hay-on-Wye; now there are communities around the world that celebrate the written word. In this extract from a new book, the author picks 10 to leaf through – and visit.

Read the whole thing at The Guardian.

Beauty and the Beast Lego Library

The library from the 1991 Disney Classic Beauty and the Beast, imagined in Lego. Click the image for full slideshow.
By Sarah von Innerebner

Book Towns interview in Forbes

There's an interview by Lois Alter Mark with me today in Forbes talking about the Book Town book. The whole thing is here but here's a snippet:

For readers, there’s nothing better than discovering a bookstore on vacation. Now imagine discovering an entire book town. Yes, book towns are a thing. They are, like they sound, towns filled with bookstores and book lovers and book-related activities. There are more of these than you think there are, and Alex Johnson celebrates them in Book Towns: Forty Five Paradises of the Printed Word. The book is a bibliophile’s dream. Johnson takes readers on an illustrated tour of the world’s most dedicated havens of literature, revealing their history, celebrating authors and booksellers and offering travel tips. In honor of World Book Day, I talked to Johnson about book towns and his own book. You may want to start booking a trip.

Remembering My Parents’ Bookshelf

"All at once, I’m looking at my parents’ bookcase, circa 1965. I can picture the spine of that book through the glass door, encased in a green paper cover. Sadly, I can’t picture the books on either side of it. Pretty much all of them dated from the same era, when hard-drinking men like John Huston were making movies. I wish I’d taken a picture of those book shelves, but who would think of doing that?  They spoke to me of my parents’ lives, their education, and the era which formed them."
The Millions

Sneglen Snail bookshelf

Sneglen "The Snail" is a spare time project, that evolved from the basic goal of creating a shelf, - to an exploration of shape, abstract recognition, structural feasibility and usability.
Morten Grønning Nielsen

Book Towns book published today in the UK

Book towns are a reader’s ultimate getaway destination. From Hay-on-Wye in Wales to Urueña in Spain, Fjaerland in Norway to Jimbochu in Japan, around 40 semi-official book towns now exist around the world. But until now, there has been no complete directory of their location, history and charm. Book Towns takes readers on a richly illustrated tour of these captivating, dedicated havens of literature, outlining the origins and development of each community, and offering practical travel advice. Explore bustling book markets in Kolkata and Buenos Aires, and pop-up shops in old churches, ferry waiting rooms and stables. A stylish and original guide, it is the perfect gift for both book lovers and travel enthusiasts.

Already published in the USA, published today in the UK.

Pier bookcase

Pier, getting its proportions from Mondrian’s Neoplasticism, gets its name as well from his famous composition “Pier and Ocean”. The sense of fineness and lightness is Pier’s trademark.
105cm x 28cm x 194cm
Designer: Başak Bakkaloğlu
Abra Design Studio

Library chair for children

The project started with the thought, “Can a piece of furniture become a library?” In this project, the chair transforms into a bookcase and a library. The moment the user sits on the chair as they store the book that they were currently reading or sit on the pile of books, the surrounding is no longer a bedroom or a living room but transforms into a library. 
Yang Si Young