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Bookshelf Design: Death of the Book?

Published
by
Josh
on March 19, 2008
in Product Design
. Tags: , , , .

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modern-bookshelf.jpgI’m working on designing and possibly constructing a built-in bookshelf at home. It’s going to wrap around a wall and have an integrated desk in a spot that would otherwise be completely useless.

Amazingly enough, bookshelves have commonly been used to do just that. Make an unused space usable. That’s interesting to me because everyday I amass more digital information than paper-bound information. But having that bookshelf just makes a home that much cozier, don’t ya think?

On top of that there’s just so many designs and ways to use bookshelves. Would you ever get rid of your bookshelf for a wireless reading device like the Kindle? How will bookshelf design change? Here’s a thought. Where will you put all those software boxes? When will that go completely digital right?

quad-book-case.jpg
Freshhome Quad bookcase


Santos on Flickr

bookshelf-room.jpg
Bookcase bedroom via Core77

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Viewing 6 Comments

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    • v
    I won't buy a Kindle for the same reason I won't buy an iPod (although I do on a non-DRM managed mp3 player). I don't want to pay money for something without getting a hard copy of some sorts, or the capability to produce a backup copy. If this means a CD, great. If this means a book-on-CD, even better. I can't stand DRM, however. What happens when something in the computer/harddrive/Kindle breaks? You've now lost your rights to whatever was on that device. Ouch!

    When they can ship me a CD with the information on it (or whatever!), or are willing to distribute the content DRM-free, I'll jump! I can't wait for such a product to become available, so my bookshelves can hold priceless works of art.

    Also, I think my wife would swoon if we ever had a bookshelf that looked like that middle one, with the color-coded books.
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    • v
    Ive had a Sony Reader for about a year now (similar to the Kindle), and absolutely love it. Currently I only have about 130 books loaded, but I have many many more on my computer that can be loaded in a heartbeat. It's terribly convenient and easy to read, and I can carry thousands of books in the physical space of less than one.

    To Charles' point about hardcopy, I make sure that my books get backed up regularly alongside all my other data to redundant storage.

    All that said, I still have 4 completely packed 5ft x 3ft bookshelves at home in my office. Many books aren't available in digital format, and others such as reference manuals or anything else where you flip quickly back and forth are better suited to paper than my Reader (you can go forward/back 1 page at a time, or move through the book in 10% increments using the history keys).

    For reading a novel, I grab my Reader. For anything that I'm studying or referencing from, I still prefer paper copy.
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    • v
    It is just your way of finding it normal. As a designer you should know every people thinks stuf is normal and then keeps using it until some one else throws the normal of the roof and gives him something better :P
    In some years we will put a painted (3d)tv screen on that wall where your bookshelves where and we will have our designs on that wall or a painting. Or a sight over the see or whatever you feel like.

    About the books:
    Books are doomed because they take up space they get old there not backed-up trees are expesive and they will get more expesive. E-paper will be like a calculator cheap and readable. So I for once see no futher in books.

    Change is scary but if you never change anything you will be dead before you know it.
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    • v
    I see what ya'll are saying. I definitely love all the cool new tech, but there's something about a bookshelf though that is just... i dunno, timeless? It's a place to put more than just books too, toys, photos, wine...small mammals.
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    • v
    Wow. you guys make me sound like I'm and "old fogey". I don't even have a land-line phone anymore, because I think phones are outdated. I wish I had enough money to buy an electric car (don't count on me having one for a long, long time). I'm ready for a paperless world, I would love a digital book reader. I just hate DRM...
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    • v
    oh man. no way Charles! I know you're not sitting in your study with doilies and ornate lamps smoking a pipe! :) I hate the DRM thing too, but I think it's dying, or dead. The Kindle was hacked (of course) and I know Amazon knows the woes of DRM dealing with the music side of things. They'll come around... again.
 

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