Personal Libraries

In our exploration of libraries, we discussed many collections owned by individuals but none of the articles described how collectors feel about the materials in their homes and along their walls. Each of us has our own feelings about our books, why we acquired them,and where. Many of the books hold special memories. For me, they are souvenirs of places I've visited and people I've met. In other cases, they represent subjects I've studied over the decades. Some of the books are by authors I enjoy reading and so I want ALL their books.

Walter Benjamin's article "Unpacking My Library" (in Illuminations (New York: Schocken Books, 1968); 59-67) is really a reminiscence of when and where he found the books in his collection. He describes the hunt, the quest, the drama of finding and acquiring books that he can read, fondle, and consult. For me, he captures the essence of collecting. 

Alberto Manguel in The Library at Night (New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2008) ruminates about different types of libraries and collections that he has owned or visited. While I considered it as optional reading for the course, I'm no longer certain it fits into the overall focus of readings. What do you think? 

A fun book I came across is a series of interviews and glossy pictures of personal libraries by Leah Price entitled Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books (Unpacking My Library Series) (New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2011). Between the covers of this slim, colorful boards, Price illustrates the arrangement of collections and the types of books that various writers collect. Check it out, perhaps your favorite author is included in the work.

There are other books about collectors and their books. Nicholas Basbanes, author and editor of Fine Books and Collections Magazine, has written a number of books about collectors. My favorites are A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books and Every Book Its Reader: The Power of the Printed Word to Stir the World. The first is about the obsession of collectors, the second about how books shape thought and events throughout time. 


What's in your library?