Recession reading

Part of my bookshelf.

One library in Sydney, Stanton Library, was recently reported in the local council news to have increased in popularity this year, possibly due to the economic climate:

"In the first three months of this year, there were 13% more visitors to Stanton Library and 6500 more books borrowed than in the same period last year. Another 1460 new members have joined the library."

Have you altered you book buying habits due to the economic climate? How?

So far this year I have:
+ purchased second-hand books for the first time
+ swapped and borrowed books much more than usual
+ used discount offers emailed to me from bookstores
+ cleaned out the bookshelves and boxed fifty books to sell

Dewey Decimal Digs

Previously, I have blogged about The Library hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand. A perfect holiday destination for sun, sand and reading. However, if you are a booklover seeking to travel to a more fast-paced and cosmopolitan location, Library Hotel in New York is the one for your itinerary.

Each of the ten floors in the building is dedicated to a different category of the Dewey Decimal System. Each of the six rooms located on each floor contain books from one of the topics of that category, with artwork to compliment the topic in the a classical modern environment.

Facilities in the hotel also follow the literary thread, such as the writers' den, bookmarks lounge and poetry garden.

In 140 characters or less

After adding Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert to my currently reading bookshelf I received a tweet from @Librarylandlady directing me to this amusing synopsis of the book:
Crybaby abates her insecurities by traveling around the world. How nice for her. The End.

I am only a tiny part into the book, and enjoying it, but it did seem quite apt.

The edited version of the book came from @tweetlibrary, where books are condensed to 140 characters or less.

I was going to include the edited versions of all the top books listed on Booktagger. However, our list is totally comprised of Stephanie Myer or J K Rowling titles, of which I could only find one edited version:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling. Kid knows magic, sucks at life. The End.

Take a look at the Booktagger list of most popular items on shelves and post an edited version of one in the comments, or tweet it to @booktagger (I'm sure tweetlibrary wouldn't mind hearing from you too). Or maybe compose one of the last book you read.

Reading in rhymes

I love these reproduced vintage reading posters. The simple images and the expressions on the characters faces work so well. The text is, of course, reworked version of popular nursery rhymes.

My son loves acting out little Miss Muffet, as he loves to scare me with a pretend spider. He is also particularly intrigued with Wee Willie Winkie, whose taps can always be heard on the nights Oskar is taking a long time to settle down to sleep ;)

Book interiors for decoration

Old hardback books can be difficult to recycle, due to the adhesives they contain. Artist Laura Cahill has found a novel way to reuse such books, by turning them into vases.

The books are cut to shape and wrapped around a test tube, so they can be used. I even found instructions online of how to make a version yourself. Unfortunately, hundreds or test tubes at work were thrown out a few month ago and I didn't know of this use for them at the time.

Laura also reused book to make this table and the base of a reading lamp.

Lit up for literature

This colourful bus won the Library bus of the year award by the Swedish Librarian Society. It was designed by the company Muungano, and has also been nominated for advertising and graphic design awards.

The bus contains books and digital media. The interior is just as colourful and in the dark, which is a significant part of the winter in Sweden, it lights up like a lantern.

Big and cozy books

I love seeing book-inspired furniture and these large and cozy pieces look very inviting.

Although the pieces look fantastic individually, the larger arrangements create great communal reading spaces and book spine pieces can decorate the walls to complement the overall theme.

The products are available from the aptly titled company Big Cosy Books.