Organization.3 --The Books

Lately, I've been stressing out about the books. I'm an English teacher, book lover, collector of Childrens' literature and while I don't have many books as some, I do have enough to fill 9 bookshelves (some like this) of varying sizes and then there are the in progress books, stacked anywhere and everywhere and the cookbooks and the craft books. Sigh.

I have a dream of ONE giant bookshelf. One area. One library, if you will. I have tall ceilings and my sweet little four foot shelves just aren't doing it for me. Instead of utilizing my space I feel I am allowing these small shelves clutter it. So, the quest for a cheap and easy MONDO bookshelf is underway. Can I make my own? Is it back to bricks and boards then? OR will that cost just as much as if I just MADE a bookshelf or bought one from somewhere like IKEA.

In my search for ideas, for homemade DIY remedies to the book sickness I found an entire blog dedicated to bookshelves. Go figure. Even though it's not really what I had in mind, here's one of my favorites from that site:

I like this idea only taller. Or this corner one from the same site.

Again, this does nothing to solve the problem at hand but I've been wanting one of these regardless. I first saw one on Emily Martin's blog. I wonder if I could build one of these?

The following bookshelf is very nearly the dimensions I had in mind. Except that it's astronomically expensive at Design Within Reach, also the the folks who sell the above bookshelf, that I am coveting. (I was thinking... Hmmm $50.00 for that little vertical number? Try $253 or so. Gasp.) Suddenly bricks and boards are sounding better and better.