People who love to read tend to collect a large amount of books over the years. Bookcases are ideal for storing and displaying them. Without bookcases they end up filling our garages and attics with boxes.
Bookcases are practical and decorative at the same time. They can be added to any home much easier than most cabinetry. Bookcases range from a single freestanding unit to a full library in a room of its own. They can also be built into other cabinets such as entertainment centers and kitchen islands.
A bookcase is generally 1' deep with adjustable shelving, allowing books of any size to be on display. Shelf standards or drilled holes with clips are two ways to build adjustable shelving. The height of a bookcase is best at 7' otherwise you would need a ladder to access the top.
The bookcase should be open to better display your favorite books. Another design is to build doors at the bottom around 30" tall for storage of less used books. Taller bookcases can include a built in ladder for those people who have large libraries.
Books stored in boxes can get damaged over time reducing their value. So keep this in mind when deciding to add bookcases to your home. If you have boxes of books in the attic or garage chances are they are damaged already. So you should look in to purchasing some bookcases and get those books out in the open so everyone can enjoy them.
Easy access is essential to any book collection. Books stored in boxes or under cabinets are easily forgotten. If you are looking to purchase pre-built bookcases you choices are limited, call your local cabinetmaker, and see if he can build one that fits your needs.