The home library . mirable arrangement (Fig. 11) is to have at the bottom ofthe book-case a drawer eight or ten inches deep to containpamphlets which may be packed on edge with only theirbacks showing, a mode of storing especially useful for playsand annual reports of societies. Above the drawer is acupboard, perhaps twenty inches high, closed with woodendoors and containing two shelves, whereon may repose un-bound magazines, files of periodicals, and numbers of sub-scription works in course of publication. Above this,again, a shallow drawer three inches deep is often of usefor papers, cards,
The home library . mirable arrangement (Fig. 11) is to have at the bottom ofthe book-case a drawer eight or ten inches deep to containpamphlets which may be packed on edge with only theirbacks showing, a mode of storing especially useful for playsand annual reports of societies. Above the drawer is acupboard, perhaps twenty inches high, closed with woodendoors and containing two shelves, whereon may repose un-bound magazines, files of periodicals, and numbers of sub-scription works in course of publication. Above this,again, a shallow drawer three inches deep is often of usefor papers, cards, and other orts and ends which it is wellto have at hand always and at the most convenient this drawer there may be a slide of flat board, to be ON THE LIBRARY AND ITS FURNITURE, 59 pulled out on occasion when a lieavy book is to be con-sulted for a moment, or wben books are waiting to be putin place on the shelyes. The open book-shelves begin thusat about a yard from the floor and rise as high as may be. Fig. 11. necessary. It is well to divide a book-case of this sort intosections not exceeding a yard in width, so that, for exam-ple, in a room of average size with a mantel-piece in thecenter of one wall, there would be room for three sectionson each side of it. Then the section in the center of the 60 THE HOME LIBRARY. opposite wall, facing the fire-place, may easily be made alittle more elaborate, with higher cupboards and, perhaps,wider shelves—and to these shelves it may be well to addglass doors, that the more delicate and precious of the lit-erary treasures in the libraries may be stored therein. Whatever the arrangement of book-cases, whether withor without doors, and whatever their width, they shouldnot be too tall. Of course, where many books have to becrowded into a small room, the owner must needs pile uphis shelves until they almost touch the ceiling. But, whennecessity does not compel such an attempt to compress asmany books as possible into a narrow
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookd, booksubjectprivatelibraries, bookyear1883
