alisoncooks Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 DH and l are engaged in an unspoken battle of the wills. We have a large book shelf in our room, roughly split 50:50 in book ownership. All of my books are set back from the edges of the cubbies/shelves, maybe 1" or so. All of DH's books are lined up flush with the very edge of the shelf, some even protruding a wee bit. So -- which do you prefer? Assuming the books are tidy and lined up so the spines are all even, should they be set back on the shelf or flush with the edge of the shelf? [And yes, every few months I slide all his books back a teensy bit so they match mine -- and so they look better (IMO). I don't think he even notices or realizes we're engaged in this battle, lol. He just moves his books back out the next time he organizes things...] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 As someone who worked in a library, I keep them flush with the shelf or abut half an inch back at most. DH pushes them back. So do the kids. I give up. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Depends on the shelves. If it has backing, I push them back. If not, I line up with the front edge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 If you push them to the back, they aren’t all the same depth. It’s not so even. And it’s hard to read the titles in the shadows. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Lined up with edge or close if non-earthquake zone. Pushed back if in earthquake (or other rumbles and shakes like above subway tunnel) zone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I'm another former library employee who votes flush with the front edge. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I push mine back so I can put things in front of the books. (Spines lined up though for an even front) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 5 minutes ago, regentrude said: I push mine back so I can put things in front of the books. (Spines lined up though for an even front) Me too. All of the spines are lined up evenly and set back from the edge of the shelf. Not many of the shelves have something in front of the books as it gets cluttered, but there are a few small staggered items such a small painting, small sculpture, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonflower Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I can't even imagine lining books up with all the spines even! I don't know how I didn't know people did this. I push all books to the back. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I push them all the way back and my put stuff in front, if there’s room. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Sigh. Grumble. Huff. I line mine up just about flush with the edge. It looks nice, my smaller paperbacks leave room to hide less interesting smaller paperbacks behind them, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I’m not constantly trying to get dust out from between uneven books. I just pretty much ignore the dust *behind the books except when I’m doing a big deep clean a few times a year. That said, my kids like to run their hands across and push them all back. My kids are not toddlers, so I’m pretty sure it’s an actual attempt to make me insane. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share Posted January 7, 2020 Love the variety of responses! Just to clarify the OP, mine are set 1" back from the front edge, all spines even. I used to (in my youth) push them ALL the way back but I don't care for that now. (Mostly because I have cubbies that don't have backs on some sections and I don't want to lose anything back there...see photo.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamonlyone Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Totally agree with you: pushed back, spines even. Solidarity, sister! To me it looks kind of cold/rigid/institutionalized to have them even with the edge. Maybe I internally registered that at libraries? I love, love, love libraries, but I don't want my house to look like one, maybe? I guess, if I would have thought about it, I would have guessed everyone did it "our" way at home! On shelves where there are fewer books and lots of art, etc., I group things for an even more relaxed look. Something like this: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) No help from me. I'm with @moonflower. But our shelves are often double shelved (two rows of books). When they've been cleaned recently, they are pushed all the way back. The kids then start restocking books in front or use the front area for something else. (Upstairs frequently-accessed kid bookshelf picture attached) Edited January 7, 2020 by RootAnn 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) Flush with the edge. Edited January 7, 2020 by EKS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Flush with the edge makes me uncomfortable. Like, I'm weirdly anxious just thinking about it. And I can't even say why. It just feels wrong. I'm not even usually a very particular person. I don't even like it in the library. Just a teensy bit back or even an inch or two back is fine. Spines even is nice, but I often do as Regentrude said and have mine back so that other things can go in front if need be. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jentrovert Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I can go either way, depending on the shelves, BUT the spines must be even. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) I work in a library, where all the books are at the front edge, even with each other, in order to facilitate reading the catalog numbers at the bottom. I'm rather obsessive about the *library* books lining up with the front edge. HOWEVER... At home, I'm more concerned about safety, so all the books are pushed all the way back (regardless of whether the spines line up), so that the center of mass is as far back as possible, and the bookshelf is more likely to tip back against the wall, and not fall into the room. When my kids were little, I was concerned about bookshelves falling on them, so I got in this habit of pushing the books back. My shelves are strapped to the wall as well, especially if they're sitting on carpeting. My kids are grown now, so that's not as much of a concern. Maybe I'll bring them forward. I hadn't thought about it. ETA: I knew a 3yo little boy who was crushed when a wall unit fell on him. It was so very tragic. That may be why I'm hypervigilent about assuring that the bookcases didn't fall on my kids. Edited January 7, 2020 by Suzanne in ABQ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 11 hours ago, moonflower said: I can't even imagine lining books up with all the spines even! I don't know how I didn't know people did this. I push all books to the back. You are making me twitchy, lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I try to keep them lined up with the front edge, sometimes they are a tiny bit (maybe 1/4 inch) from the edge. When my kids were younger they used to push them back, but it drove me batty. They aren't perfect right now, and I am resisting the urge to get straighten them. We attach our bookcases to the wall to help keep them from falling over. We don't get a lot of earthquakes though, and my kids are much too old to try to climb shelves (I hope). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I keep mine a little back from the edge, mostly lined up parallel to the edge but not perfectly. I've never thought about this too much, it's just what I do instinctively so I actually had to go look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 5 hours ago, Farrar said: Flush with the edge makes me uncomfortable. Like, I'm weirdly anxious just thinking about it. And I can't even say why. It just feels wrong. I'm not even usually a very particular person. I don't even like it in the library. Just a teensy bit back or even an inch or two back is fine. Spines even is nice, but I often do as Regentrude said and have mine back so that other things can go in front if need be. So much this, and I have no idea why. We push all of the books back, but now that I'm thinking about it -- I think it helps me find the right book. We have so.many.books and I know what they look like by size, shape, color. If all of the books were flush, that would make it harder for me to identify the book that I'm looking for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonflower Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Do you guys not alphabetize them? Finding the right book (provided someone else isn't reading it, or that I haven't left it in the bathroom or something) is not a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 33 minutes ago, moonflower said: Do you guys not alphabetize them? Finding the right book (provided someone else isn't reading it, or that I haven't left it in the bathroom or something) is not a problem. No alphabetizing, but I group nonfiction into..."categories" ....I'm so careless about bookshelves and feel like apologizing to groups like WTM, where books are taken so seriously. I feel like a bookshelf failure. It never even occurred to me to make the spines all even. No wonder my bookshelves looked like crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 4 hours ago, Loowit said: They aren't perfect right now, and I am resisting the urge to get straighten them. Don't resist. Go fix them. We'll all feel better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 (edited) Oh, man, I love seeing people's bookshelves. That is all. 🙂 ETA: Didn't mean for that to sound pervy. 😉 Edited January 8, 2020 by MercyA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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