Our home library fits into a few different spots in our apartment. Majority sits in a large book stand in a hallway, there is a pile next to our bed, and more books in our office-room. Even when we used to live in our small 1-bedroom apartment, we used to have dedicated space for books. I can't see it to be any other way.
Since my childhood, books were part of my physical space. In the past, it was no-brainer. There were no e-books or audiobooks, so if you wanted to read, you needed a physical copies. Nowadays, there is a choice, and I know many people who go full digital. Even those of my friends who read from paper usually are reluctant to dedicate precious space to store books in plain sight.
Here are a few reasons why books will always be part of my physical space.
In sight - in mind
Do you know what's the simplest way to limit your smartphone usage? Always hide it from your sight, even putting it in the pocket is better than having it somewhere on the desk where you can see it. If you keep it visible, your brain will always find a reason to reach for it and distract you.
Luckily, the same works with good things. Want to stay hydrated? Keep a water bottle on your desk that you refill during the day. Want to exercise more? Keep your fitness mat where you can see it.
The same goes with books, I've noticed that the more books surround me, the more I read. I pass our book stand multiple times per day. At least once or twice per day, those books remind me about the one I'm currently reading. When I go to bed, pile next to me reminds me about a cool story I’m currently reading. This If I was relying only on my Kindle for reading I would still keep it in some central spot of my space.
It's not about books you've read
Our library is made of ~60-70% of unread books. Why?
For once, I love being able to stand before my bookshelf and wonder when deciding what to read next. I don't plan my reading ahead. I prefer to keep multiple books I'm interested in and be able to choose which one to read next when the time comes. A physical library is perfect for this. We prune our library every few weeks or months. That's where having limited space comes in handy, you really need to put some thought into how to use it. Old books find you home at our family or in our old apartment which we rent as Airbnb.
Another reason is that I totally buy into the concept of anti library coined by Nassim Taleb in his book "The Black Swan". According to Taleb, the purpose of the antilibrary is not to boast about how many books one has read, but rather to provide a continual reminder of our ignorance. Each book represents an unexplored world, a chunk of knowledge yet to be acquired.
By having a physical library, filled with a significant proportion of unread books, I'm constantly reminded of the vast amount of information I still don't know. It's a visual marker of the questions yet to answer and ideas yet to explore.
Closing thoughts
Owning a physical library is like having a tool you can use to sharpen your mind. A good library is there to serve you and provide with a selection of books to feed your curiosity and push the research process. For me, it’s also a great manifestation of our family’s culture and DNA, we all love reading, and you can see it in the things we surround ourselves with.