How many books make a home library? For some, it’s as simple as a shelf full of beloved titles. For others, it’s an expansive collection representing a lifelong passion.
Recently, my uncle asked me how many books I owned and I realized I’d never actually counted them. I set out to do just that. Along the way, I discovered that a personal library isn’t about numbers alone.
Now I don’t remember exactly when I developed bibliophilic tendencies, but his question piqued an interest in me.
Until yesterday, I literally had no clue how many books there were in my house. So I decided to undertake the tedious task of cataloging my personal library.
It turns out I have 307 books, of which 286 are business and management books and the rest are fiction. Most of the books reside on two bookshelves and a few in a newly built book almirah. These are the books that I’ve deliberately collected, the books I’ve kept because I just love them.
Our personal libraries reflect the history of our intellectual journey. Over time, they become an inextricable part of our individuality.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said,
It’s generally believed that you are a bibliophile if you own more than a thousand books.
Clearly, I am not even close to claiming that badge. However, many people around the world own envy-inducing private libraries – the intellectual havens, so to say.
Umberto Eco, the late legendary Italian author, is known to have left behind a vast collection of books in his personal library. In “This is not the end of the book“, he declared that he had over 50,000 books in his library. Yes, no typos there.
If you think the Italian literary maestro was zany, then you certainly haven’t heard of Professor Richard Macksey of John Hopkins University. Prof Macksey’s Maryland home is a giant Bibliotheque comprising jaw-dropping 70,000 books.
There are books practically everywhere from his bedroom to his kitchen. In his library, he has a collection of incunabula, manuscripts
In short, Prof Macksey is a true renaissance man.
Many successful business people love reading and collecting books, too. One such famous bibliophile is Jay Walker. He is the founder of Priceline.com – one of the biggest travel companies in the world. But his worldwide fame may be due not to his business alone.
Built as a part of his house, his incredible 3600-square-feet library houses 30,000 books in addition to several artifacts, rare books and even a host of antique typewriters.
Curiously, academicians and entrepreneurs aren’t the only ones obsessed with collecting books, lots of movie stars and celebrities are book hoarders, too.
Nigella Lawson, the famous British television personality, gourmet and food writer apparently owns 6000 books, mostly cookery books.
Oscar award-winning actress Diane Keaton owns a vast number of photography and architecture books. Those are the core elements of her Spanish colonial revival-style mansion.
These people and their illustrious collections can overwhelm anyone. However, allow me to puncture your enthusiasm a little. There is a good chance that many books lie unread in those libraries.
Mathematically, the number of unread books in your personal library sits in direct proportion to the total number of books.
In the end, a personal library reflects the journey of our minds and hearts, not just numbers. You may have a few shelves. Or you might have a labyrinth of books. Regardless, it’s the stories within that make it a true library. On that note, I’m off to organize a shelf or two of books. I’ll see if any old friends need a re-visiting.
©BookJelly. All rights reserved
Thank you for this post! I think it’s one of the happiest posts I’ve ever seen, and also so funny. The math is spectacular; also the Japanese terminology. Thank you for this—you just drove my Sunday night blues away!
Glad you liked it, Alice 😊