[OT] When is a library a library?

[Xeriar]

Looking at Monte's stash here:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30110

I felt kind of envious. I have quite a collection of books myself, but most of them are science, fiction, or computer books.

This is about the books, not magazines, disks, videos, or scrolls, just books You can't have a real library without books...

So where do you think it goes from being 'your books' to 'your library'?

 

[Agnostic Paladin]

Librariness isn't about book count; it's about being a room or building devoted to the storage of books in an easily accessible manner. Looking at the shelves in those shots, I'd say one could call that room a library...

 

[Agback]

Librariness isn't about book count; it's about being a room or building devoted to the storage of books in an easily accessible manner.

Exactly so! I have about a thousand books, but they're scattered around in at least four rooms of my house. There's no library where Inspector Cloddeau could assemble the suspects.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

By my latest estimates, I have 1000+ books in my room alone, plus at least 300 books in another.

I really need an apartment of my own...

 

[Gez]

A personal or a professional library ? I've never counted all the books I have at home, but in dictionaries and encyclopedias alone we're pretty much in the 60+ range. With the tons of novels, essays, docs, etc., I'll be much surprised if I got less than two thousands. I consider 1000 is OK for a house library.

Now, a Library (uppercase L) is an other matter entirely. Such an institution should at least have 10000 different works, with 2 to 10 samples of the most commonly borrowed ones, for a grand total of at least 15000 books.

The only excuse for a smaller library would be novelty. Acquiring books take times and money.

And shame on you, Xeriar, for having allowed a foul answer like "I do not trust in books". Argh ! Anathema ! Blasphemy ! Naughtiness !

 

[Piratecat]

When it's an OT poll.

I know that doesn't answer your question, but off topic polls aren't allowed. I'll close this.