Finding furniture that fits

Having your very own library in your home is a huge privilege. You can spend lazy Sundays picking through passages from your favourite writers, use it as a peaceful place to get some work done, and introduce your children to the joy of reading and literature. But a home library can only be as good as the books housed within it. That's why it's important to have the right library furniture in place for maintaining the books in your home. Here are some of the ways good shelving can ensure your books are kept spick and span.

Invest in bespoke library shelving. The most important aspect of any home library is the shelving. Too many people invest in bookshelves that don't have enough height within the shelves. The books end up becoming bent, and their quality is compromised. Order your book shelves so that the shelves have enough height to accommodate your most precious books comfortably. You should also ensure that you have enough space within your shelves. Cramming books into insufficient shelving space will put undue pressure on the books and cause abrasion of the bindings when books are removed.

Choosing the right shelving material. In public libraries, you are probably accustomed to seeing books stored on wooden shelves, but actually, metal is probably a better choice for your home bookshelf. This is because metal does not attract moisture or fungus, metal shelves are extremely low friction, which is great for preserving the bindings of old books, and as a bonus, metal is a cheap option. If you are completely wed to the idea of having wooden bookshelves in your library, you will need to coat them with a high quality sealant and then lay liners on the shelves to prevent the wood's acid from seeping into your books.

Shelve your books properly. Once you have shelves that can support your book collection, you need to place the books on the shelves in the correct way. Do not stack books on top of one another, because excessive weight from the top could cause damage to the covers of the bottom layer of books. Also, be sure to put books next to other books of a similar size. If a large paperback is set next to a much smaller hardback, the paperback is liable to lean over the smaller book and become misshapen. Shelve books by size, so that there is no imbalance of pressure on any book.