The blue on the walls is bloody perfect against the bookshelf color, because they have a yellow undertone, and blue is a contrast primary color to yellow. I totally think you should keep the blue! It grounds the whole space!
As a swede (that obviously got a middle school course in building IKEA furniture) it's quite hilarious to watch booktubers battle these flat packs. It always look amazing in the end, great work Jack! 🎉
My fourth grade teacher told the class one day: If you want your parents to stay married, don’t let them build Ikea furniture together😂 And I’m not married, but I can imagine how this might be true
As an american biggest ikea fan, i laugh too. I’ve put so many billys together i can do it in my head. 😂 and the toppers are a lot more confusing than the shelves. 😊
aesthetically speking I really like to organize my books by editor, because publishing houses usually have a style, and so that gives the bookshelf a nice cohesive look. Also, you could still do the alphabetical order (either by author surname or by book title) inside the editor division. Idk, thought I'd leave the suggestion
As someone who owns IKEA furniture and moves a lot... IKEA furniture is super not good at being dismantled and rebuilt, nor at being moved in one piece. To mitigate this, have some wood glue handy. Once you're COMPLETELY SURE the pieces are in the right place, put a little wood glue on both ends of all the wooden pegs and also between every joint, put it all together tightly (a rubber mallet helps!), and let it cure for 12-24 hours. Then that bookshelf is solid as hell and will last you a lot longer! I have a couple IKEA bookshelves I did this with, and others I didn't; the wood-glued ones have survived multiple moves and are still super sturdy, no wobble or jank at all. The unglued shelves get more wobbly each move, and we usually "lose" one or two tall shelves each move with it either falling apart entirely or becoming too shaky to trust. Hope this helps someone!
My grandparents' home has one and... it's not as amazing as you'd think. It really only truly means that a lot of books will never be accessed and read. I would always rather an electronic mobile shelving system instead (which is what we had in my university and it's great)
Having one of those even if it’s completely unnecessary is a dream. Like I can’t use that generic middle-aged man phrase “living the dream” until I have a bookshelf ladder
I thought I was the only one who fantasized about the sliding ladder lmao! That moment when the heros need information in a special book and they visit the gigantic library where the librarian knows exactly what they're looking for so he hops on his ladder and gets it.. goals 😂
My husband overheard me watching this video, and at the end when Jack was all: "Let a man have his footstool!" my husband goes "If the Bookman wants a footstool let him have a footstool!" So, Jack, you have my husbands (and my) blessing to get all the footstools, stepstools and stepladders you want.
When Jack said "I could not bring myself to do any more of it" and the books and the bookstand behind him tilted to the left at 27:47 😂 Is unplanned comedy gold
did you just organize your books RANDOMLY???? you are either very laidback and cool or completely insane wait I just got to the end, you’re reorganizing, thank god
@@michellemaas8100 Ok fair. I retract my previous statement. I'd first organize by genre (if I had enough different types to bother) then alphabetically, I'd still make a detailed catalogue though XD
@clockworkmonsters8590 don't have a catalog but I do have a ✨️excel spreadsheet✨️. It's a great way to keep track of when I bought my books, how much they cost, what edition they are, etc.
I went through all this myself back in 2021. We converted our second bedroom into a library and it took weeks of replacing the flooring, repainting all the walls, building six bookshelves, and then reorganizing all of my books. Well worth it, but man I feel your pain here.
This video felt like home. The procrastination, then the struggle you went through, the sweet presence of your dog, with bits of satisfaction when each shelf was done and finally the filling of the books! I can't wait for the final shelves to arrive so it can be complete!
I built a similar corner unit Billy bookcase unit five or so years ago in my house. It is white and it's right behind me and I just turned around and gazed at it lovingly. And while I honestly pride myself in having a real knack for building IKEA furniture, I have very visceral memories of how this build almost broke me.
As a preventive conservator in historic buildings- if you want to keep your books in the best condition, there are 3 main problems with the set up. (This may not be of interest, if so ignore this completely!) It’s best to have some air flow around the books so microclimates don’t become a problem and cause mould etc. Having space above the book can damage them less when pulling books off the shelf, cramped space can cause damage to the headcaps. Finally, books stored horizontally - whilst they look cool, can cause all sorts of structural problems with the book over prolonged periods of time. Besides that, I’m completely envious of your library! 😍
I myself am partial to horizontal stacks although they are a pain to access lol. And I mean... none of these books are pristine, limited collector edition types, so I don't think that's a problem. For most people, the most common problem would be humidity and dust, which is addressed by air flow and consistent cleaning
Do you mean vertically? Aren't books generally stored horizontally in pretty much all libraries and bookstores? Edit: Oh wait, do you mean horizontally as in laying flat, so the book itself is horizontal? Sorry, I was thinking of the storage itself being horizontal (a shelf) instead of vertical (a pile).
How does storing them horizontally cause problems? I have hardbacks stored upright and it is a problem because the pages aren't level to the floor , it pulls the pages away from the hardback covering.
@@awolf5266 hardbacks are designed to be stored upright but some poorly made hardbacks or those with lots of pages can suffer from textblock drag where the textblock droops to the shelf, this can be remedied with a small foam insert under the pages to prop it back up (acid free is best). Storing them laying down can mean it’s hard to access books and increases the amount of handling, but can also distort or warp the alignment of the boards and spine, especially when squished under the weight lots of books!
@@AllTheArtsy it’s all down to preference, as I say it’s not important to everyone! I store some of my own books horizontally admittedly because it looks aesthetically pleasing. The books in historic houses weren’t necessarily all special, pristine or collectors editions at the time but if someone has invested time or money into collecting a library, the books often mean something to them financially, sentimentally, or can act as a biography of a person- an insight into their interests, ideas and whatnot so some people may want to maintain their books as best they can! Yes dust and humidity are big issues too for all sorts of objects. It can help to not store books against external walls too :)
I recently finished my Master's in Library and Information Science, and one of the classes that I took during the degree was "Planning Library Facilities." One thing that was heavily emphasized in the course was the importance of floor weight capacity and the dangers of turning residential buildings into libraries. Because large quantities of books are so heavy, the minimum recommended floor weight for a library should be 150 lbs per sq ft (according to The Practical Handbook of Library Architecture by Schlipf and Moorman), but in the U.S. the live load capacity for most buildings tends to be 40-50 lbs per sq ft. In direct convos, Dr. Schlipf stated that it is better to be closer to 170+ lbs per sq ft when possible. Simply put, residential buildings are not designed to take the weight of huge shelves of books. This is why it is not recommended to put libraries in multistory residential structures, because the risk of the floors caving in is very real. Now I do not want to put you or anyone else off having a home library - as I also dream of having one, so I understand the desire all too well. But I wanted to point this out because putting large numbers of books on tall shelves in concentrated areas puts a strain on the architectural integrity of a residential structure. Where possible, try to put personal libraries on ground floors (particularly ones with concrete foundations) or on low, spaced-out shelves to spread the weight. I know that because of renting and such, there may be limited options about what you can do, but if possible, you may want to find out the floor weight or load capacity from the building's supervisor or owner, or get a consultant to check on your behalf. Stay safe and happy book collecting everyone!
Thank you for this comment, I think it's genuinely wonderful when people share their expertise, especially in cases of safety not often thought about 😊
The best bit of having a home library is organising the books! I hope you do that too soon! I did it by genre and then by authors surname - the nerdier the organisational system the better 🙌🏽
I smiled when you said a library with a rolling ladder. I've always loved that idea. Especially when you see them in really old houses with soaring ceiling heights.
I did a similar thing a couple of weeks ago - but I had a friend to help! Building Billy Bookcases is easier with a friend as you can double check you’re doing it right. Congratulations on your library! Edit: if there’s any way you can fix them to the walls do it. It’s reasonably easy to plug the holes again when you move out but will make the book cases so much more solid. It’s no fun when it falls over.
Wow, yesterday I went book shopping and in my Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders infused Cillian Murphy obsession I wondered: "Did Cillian ever recommend any books? Jack is someone who makes vidoes about this kind of stuff... I wonder if he's gonna make one". And here we are. Very excited for that one!! Also, loved this video to pieces, very oddly calming watching you lose your mind over placing books.
This turned out great! But pro tip: best way to divide the shelves is to make them all BUT the top one (and bottom one if that's the case) the same height. You want the shelves that are on your eye level to be the same height, because those are the ones your eye can easily compare. The very top shelf is furthest from your eye and you'll already be looking at it from an angle, so your perception of its height will already be kind of warped. It also looks more intentional this way, because it makes sense to leave the very very top part with more space (you'd want the shelf to be lower anyway so it's easier to reach).
a gentle reminder from a swede and ikea furniture building professional, that in the future, if you use a blanket or the box underneath to protect the wood from scratching you might save yourself from one last breakdown. well done!
Watching others put together IKEA furniture is such a binding experience; shared trauma and all that. I'm as excited as you, and they're not even my books. Also, if you don't dream of a Beauty and the Beast book ladder, are you even a reader? Can't wait to see the finished product.
The think that baffled me the most is the fact that you actually know ALL OF THESE BOOKS. like if you go to a library, u don necessary know ALL of the books on a shelf u see, but THIS. all of THIS, u know them. And to see it all like this on a shelf in your own house is so WOW to me.
Little bit of a suggestion regarding the brace Jack, in Japan, whenever we put up a shelf that doesn’t go all the way up to the ceiling and have no way of taking it down again to put up a brace, we buy ceiling braces, which is just an extension pole that pushes against the top of the shelf and against the ceiling, preventing it from falling over during an earthquake. It’s called an earthquake protection bar and it doesn’t require any screws, all you have to do is mount it on. I know NY doesn’t have many earthquakes, but it’s always a good safety measure!
@@gracemcleod6503I think this has nothing to do with earthquakes but more so with the fact of securing it somehow. Shelfs can topple over so IKEA has to provide the screws to secure them. If anything happens to someone or something bc they crashed you will be responsible for the damage and no insurance will cover it. I think that's why they suggested that safety measure 😊 Not just bc of earthquakes 😂😁
I can’t believe how relatable this. The ladder (which is the dream of every reader) The lactose intolerance Being too lazy to wait for coffee And of course living vicariously while he made his home library.
hi jack! since you'll be buying more shelves for the bookcase, i thought i'd let you know that the bookcase tends to sag after a few years (especially if you keep a ton of books on them, ironic i know). but if you want to prevent that from happening & reinforce it, you should add glue to the sides of the shelf before screwing them together. it adds a few more years to the shelf life ☺️
@@katv1195 you can't flip the shelves on the new ones! 🥲 that screw thing that jack jammed into the side & messed up the layout makes it so that you can only use the shelf on one side
1:23 RIGHT?! my biggest ambition in life is not only to have a personal library of my own but to also have the SLIDEY LADDER (which i’d actually need because i’m too short to reach high shelves)
I cannot wait to watch part 2, this video is probably one of the best personal library/ bookcase videos on TH-cam right now. I love the layout of your books and the lighting is amazing. Really good stuff!
This video is everything that we needed, you made funny the frustration that comes with building literally anything while radiating a level of comfort that is wild. Thanks Jack 💙
I've never tried to put together IKEA furniture, but I can confirm that trying to put together Walmart furniture also brings about homicidal rage. Kudos to surviving and putting together an amazing library!! This is my dream when I have my own apartment/house, so thank you for letting us live vicariously through you. I am excited for the future videos of your library.
I put together a walmart bookshelf last year. I became very violent. But IKEA furniture? It breaks you. You question ur life choices. You either end up in jail or in a corner, rocking yourself while the 2,000 remaining pieces taunt you. I still need therapy for the many ikea items ive put together over the last 4 years.
Took me a while to watch the whole video. So satisfying to get to the end with so many books in the shelfs! When I left home I only had two bookshelfs in my room, now I have A room full of them plus some others elsewhere in the apartment (and yes, I have a small ladder). It's fun moving them around to figure out how best to group them. So far for me it's a mix of genres and country/continent of origin. It's good to try different ways to organize to see what's more useful for you.
Dude when you said all you want from life is those slide-y ladders for your bookshelf, I literally screamed out loud YES!!!!!! I’ve barely started this video and I feel so SEEN ❤❤❤❤ Last time I counted my books I was at 960 a few years back and I literally have purchased more than 40 books since the last count. Hell I picked up Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and Lightbringer by Pierce Brown last night. I’m on IKEA’s website now cause I need at least one more shelf for some release.
Thank you for showing the struggle with the placement of the shelves and all. I can't wait to see you finish the bookshelf building with the extra shelves and do all the different book organization methods you are talking about!
Your stress over the shelves is hilarious and entirely relatable. Your dog is adorable and it makes me laugh that you stop to review books. The procrastination and torture of flat pack is strong and I think every book nerd in the world wants the home library with the moving ladder.
Jack getting excited at the end of this video about getting a step stool is the cutest thing ever! This is exactly something I would do I'm excited to see how it all turns out in the end!!
Dude. It looks amazing. If I were you.. I would purchase a cozy chair and sit in front of the shelves for hours at a time just appreciating the gorgeous books 😍
I just recently did a full redecorate and redo of my craft room, and just this morning I took my first coffee of the day and went in there to just SIT, have my magic bean juice, and admire the gorgeous space. He’s done a lovely thing with his library.
Aside from the immaculate content of this video, I have to say that your dog warms my heart - he's such a loyal soul and you can feel his love for you through the screen.
Actually so lovely to see this man so excited about his shelves and books - this is the positive content the world needs! Glad you're falling back in love with making the content and that you're having fun with this library, you deserve it!
Congratulations on this beautiful and cozylibrary! The wood shelves really complement the blue wall. ps. I love that Archie was so supportive throughout the process!
Omg thank you for figuring out the perfect way to align the shelves like you did! I've been wanting to move my shelves closer together then buy extras but I have been procrastinating figuring out the spacing.
OMG.what i JOY to watch this video.i'm sooo happy for you jackkk and the way you are EXCITED for this dream library just makes my heart warmmm(and also made me count my books after a while-475)cannnn't wait to watch the series✨✨
Hey Jack! Wanted to let you know about the Philadelphia Bookstore Map, which was just released! It was a grassroots effort to create a map that shows all the bookstores in Philly--could be a fun video idea whenever you're in the US again!
@thescarediest I am literally copy-pasting this comment into all his new videos hoping he sees it lol I really want to visit Giovanni's Room! I haven't made it just yet but it looks great. I love Philly AIDS thrift
i had the same thought.. organizing 1,000+ books w pen and paper sounds painful lol it would be cool to see all the data as well with percentages, color codes and stuff
I'm so happy and proud of you. You've worked really hard and loved so many of those stories. I hope this space becomes a space that feels like home for you. Sending so much love ❤
Ah, I remember putting together these things 5 years ago... except: picture the layout you have, but in the middle of the room, plus the mirror image of what you have, creating a U-form. A later addition maybe 1-2 years on was 8 more facing the other way around the back of the U. We added doors to two of those. Ikea-Billy Doors are another sort of hell - I'll take more bookcases over putting on doors. We use KOHA (open-source library software) to keep track of our books, 4K and counting at this stage (yay pandemic for "providing" time to enter them all). Wishing you great satisfaction in periodically rearranging everything!
Yes! 100% yes with the step ladder/stepstool being added to the room. It's definitely romantic to be surrounded by books and needing a little step to reach them all imo. Thank you for sharing this!
We need this so bad! We have thousands of books in different size shelves. Most are in our basement but they’re still in every single room except kitchen and bathroom. Love our books ❤❤❤❤
This video came at the perfect time! We are planning to make a mini library with these same bookshelves and were in Ikea today to get them, now I know I love how they look and am excited to get started!
I think I speak for everyone when I ask, “what city is your library being installed in?” Home in UK or NYC? Not in a creepy way, I just need to know where this amazing collection exists 😂
jack: has enough books to qualify as a personal library
also jack: refuses to read an instruction manual
Mood 😂😂😂
Lolll 😄🤣😂
This man is single handedly responsible for the existence of my reading career
i’m gonna study english because of him 😅
Literally.
And I am about to finish 3rd book in a span of 40 days. I was in such a rut for 3 years straight
@@prachim_ that's amazing :)
@@juanp7873 no cause same
Only bookworms can understand the insane desire to have a bookshelf with a rolling ladder
Yes please 📖📚
The blue on the walls is bloody perfect against the bookshelf color, because they have a yellow undertone, and blue is a contrast primary color to yellow. I totally think you should keep the blue! It grounds the whole space!
I need the name of this blue…. So perfect
Agreed! It makes the the shelves and books pop in a pleasing way!
And when the world needed him most, he returned ✨
He was only gone for 7 days wdym
My thoughts exactly. Haha
The “when the world needed him most” comment. I check TH-cam like every day for a video from Jack haha
Worlds most original comment good job on like farming
@@Yudentheepicboy atleast it got a heart from jack hahah stay mad
YOU'RE OFFICIALLY TH-cam'S RESIDENT LIBRARIAN!!! Litteraly buzzing with excitement!!
ok
As a swede (that obviously got a middle school course in building IKEA furniture) it's quite hilarious to watch booktubers battle these flat packs. It always look amazing in the end, great work Jack! 🎉
As another swed I can agree that we all get a cours in building IKEA furniture😊
The fact you get taught that has made my day 😂 That’s so cool! Meanwhile, in the UK we struggle and swear at pieces of wood 😂
My fourth grade teacher told the class one day: If you want your parents to stay married, don’t let them build Ikea furniture together😂
And I’m not married, but I can imagine how this might be true
As an american biggest ikea fan, i laugh too. I’ve put so many billys together i can do it in my head. 😂 and the toppers are a lot more confusing than the shelves. 😊
as a finn i also find it hilarious
You know he succeeded at you tube when you choose to watch him set up shelves for 40 minutes and enjoy it hahahahah
Jack having a conversation with himself about not needing to justify his need for a footstool gave me life
same ☺
Jack: has over 1000 books
Also Jack: I guess I'll just have to get more books so I can have them on bookshelves AND stacked in my room.
Hes a man with standards😂😂
aesthetically speking I really like to organize my books by editor, because publishing houses usually have a style, and so that gives the bookshelf a nice cohesive look. Also, you could still do the alphabetical order (either by author surname or by book title) inside the editor division. Idk, thought I'd leave the suggestion
Ok nice idea!
I never thought to organise by publishing house for cohesion, that's a great idea
That’s so smart!!
Thanks for the idea!
This is a genius idea!
As someone who owns IKEA furniture and moves a lot... IKEA furniture is super not good at being dismantled and rebuilt, nor at being moved in one piece. To mitigate this, have some wood glue handy. Once you're COMPLETELY SURE the pieces are in the right place, put a little wood glue on both ends of all the wooden pegs and also between every joint, put it all together tightly (a rubber mallet helps!), and let it cure for 12-24 hours. Then that bookshelf is solid as hell and will last you a lot longer! I have a couple IKEA bookshelves I did this with, and others I didn't; the wood-glued ones have survived multiple moves and are still super sturdy, no wobble or jank at all. The unglued shelves get more wobbly each move, and we usually "lose" one or two tall shelves each move with it either falling apart entirely or becoming too shaky to trust. Hope this helps someone!
Confirmed every book lover's goal in life is a slidey ladder
My sister wants one too🎉🎉🎉
Use your extensions...as shelves🎉🎉
Yes it is
My grandparents' home has one and... it's not as amazing as you'd think. It really only truly means that a lot of books will never be accessed and read. I would always rather an electronic mobile shelving system instead (which is what we had in my university and it's great)
too funny! and so true!
I think the fact that the ladder from beauty and the beast has stayed with so many of us is one of the most wonderful things in the world
Having one of those even if it’s completely unnecessary is a dream. Like I can’t use that generic middle-aged man phrase “living the dream” until I have a bookshelf ladder
Having one is a dream of mine!
that ladder is the dream
I thought I was the only one who fantasized about the sliding ladder lmao! That moment when the heros need information in a special book and they visit the gigantic library where the librarian knows exactly what they're looking for so he hops on his ladder and gets it.. goals 😂
YES. FINALLY. THE BOOKS NEEDED THIS AFTER BEING STUFFED IN A CLOSET 😭
My husband overheard me watching this video, and at the end when Jack was all: "Let a man have his footstool!" my husband goes "If the Bookman wants a footstool let him have a footstool!" So, Jack, you have my husbands (and my) blessing to get all the footstools, stepstools and stepladders you want.
When Jack said "I could not bring myself to do any more of it" and the books and the bookstand behind him tilted to the left at 27:47 😂
Is unplanned comedy gold
Ikea ghosts
i thought nobody else noticed that 😂😂😂
Yes, I noticed that too!!! 🤣
Laughed so much with that too😂
did you just organize your books RANDOMLY???? you are either very laidback and cool or completely insane
wait I just got to the end, you’re reorganizing, thank god
I know! If I had that many books I would organize them alphabetically, and then make a detailed catalogue to make them easier to find XD
@clockworkmonsters8590 it's by genre and sub-genre for me 😂 the thought of Fantasy standing next to Romance next to Thriller gives me the twitches!
@@michellemaas8100 Ok fair. I retract my previous statement. I'd first organize by genre (if I had enough different types to bother) then alphabetically, I'd still make a detailed catalogue though XD
@clockworkmonsters8590 don't have a catalog but I do have a ✨️excel spreadsheet✨️. It's a great way to keep track of when I bought my books, how much they cost, what edition they are, etc.
My books are organized chronologically (by the time I've finished reading them) 😭 I guess that's unusual but that's how I do it
I fell in love with books because of you and now I'm doing a degree in literature 😁
That's nice.
I also started creating video on books hope you like it check it now😊😊
I love how your dog came with you every time you brought books into the room 😂
This feels like a major milestone because we were breadcrumbed all this while about a library.
Stalker says hello 👋
damn, Hi Bengali Swaddle guy! Nice to see you here!
I went through all this myself back in 2021. We converted our second bedroom into a library and it took weeks of replacing the flooring, repainting all the walls, building six bookshelves, and then reorganizing all of my books. Well worth it, but man I feel your pain here.
29:55 it's sooo satisfying to watch the shelves fill up!
You should get a custom Etsy library book stamp 🥹 have it say jack in the books and stamp each one when you organize it. It would be so wholesome
now you truly fit the title ✨youtube's resident librarian✨ congratulations book man!
This video felt like home. The procrastination, then the struggle you went through, the sweet presence of your dog, with bits of satisfaction when each shelf was done and finally the filling of the books! I can't wait for the final shelves to arrive so it can be complete!
I built a similar corner unit Billy bookcase unit five or so years ago in my house. It is white and it's right behind me and I just turned around and gazed at it lovingly. And while I honestly pride myself in having a real knack for building IKEA furniture, I have very visceral memories of how this build almost broke me.
As a preventive conservator in historic buildings- if you want to keep your books in the best condition, there are 3 main problems with the set up. (This may not be of interest, if so ignore this completely!)
It’s best to have some air flow around the books so microclimates don’t become a problem and cause mould etc. Having space above the book can damage them less when pulling books off the shelf, cramped space can cause damage to the headcaps. Finally, books stored horizontally - whilst they look cool, can cause all sorts of structural problems with the book over prolonged periods of time.
Besides that, I’m completely envious of your library! 😍
I myself am partial to horizontal stacks although they are a pain to access lol. And I mean... none of these books are pristine, limited collector edition types, so I don't think that's a problem. For most people, the most common problem would be humidity and dust, which is addressed by air flow and consistent cleaning
Do you mean vertically? Aren't books generally stored horizontally in pretty much all libraries and bookstores?
Edit: Oh wait, do you mean horizontally as in laying flat, so the book itself is horizontal? Sorry, I was thinking of the storage itself being horizontal (a shelf) instead of vertical (a pile).
How does storing them horizontally cause problems? I have hardbacks stored upright and it is a problem because the pages aren't level to the floor , it pulls the pages away from the hardback covering.
@@awolf5266 hardbacks are designed to be stored upright but some poorly made hardbacks or those with lots of pages can suffer from textblock drag where the textblock droops to the shelf, this can be remedied with a small foam insert under the pages to prop it back up (acid free is best). Storing them laying down can mean it’s hard to access books and increases the amount of handling, but can also distort or warp the alignment of the boards and spine, especially when squished under the weight lots of books!
@@AllTheArtsy it’s all down to preference, as I say it’s not important to everyone! I store some of my own books horizontally admittedly because it looks aesthetically pleasing. The books in historic houses weren’t necessarily all special, pristine or collectors editions at the time but if someone has invested time or money into collecting a library, the books often mean something to them financially, sentimentally, or can act as a biography of a person- an insight into their interests, ideas and whatnot so some people may want to maintain their books as best they can!
Yes dust and humidity are big issues too for all sorts of objects. It can help to not store books against external walls too :)
I recently finished my Master's in Library and Information Science, and one of the classes that I took during the degree was "Planning Library Facilities." One thing that was heavily emphasized in the course was the importance of floor weight capacity and the dangers of turning residential buildings into libraries. Because large quantities of books are so heavy, the minimum recommended floor weight for a library should be 150 lbs per sq ft (according to The Practical Handbook of Library Architecture by Schlipf and Moorman), but in the U.S. the live load capacity for most buildings tends to be 40-50 lbs per sq ft. In direct convos, Dr. Schlipf stated that it is better to be closer to 170+ lbs per sq ft when possible. Simply put, residential buildings are not designed to take the weight of huge shelves of books. This is why it is not recommended to put libraries in multistory residential structures, because the risk of the floors caving in is very real.
Now I do not want to put you or anyone else off having a home library - as I also dream of having one, so I understand the desire all too well. But I wanted to point this out because putting large numbers of books on tall shelves in concentrated areas puts a strain on the architectural integrity of a residential structure. Where possible, try to put personal libraries on ground floors (particularly ones with concrete foundations) or on low, spaced-out shelves to spread the weight. I know that because of renting and such, there may be limited options about what you can do, but if possible, you may want to find out the floor weight or load capacity from the building's supervisor or owner, or get a consultant to check on your behalf.
Stay safe and happy book collecting everyone!
Hope Mummy and Daddy read your comment.😉
Thank you for this comment, I think it's genuinely wonderful when people share their expertise, especially in cases of safety not often thought about 😊
The best bit of having a home library is organising the books! I hope you do that too soon! I did it by genre and then by authors surname - the nerdier the organisational system the better 🙌🏽
I smiled when you said a library with a rolling ladder. I've always loved that idea. Especially when you see them in really old houses with soaring ceiling heights.
I know you said you don’t like the blue on the walls, but it looks so good with the color of the shelves 👍🏼
That's what i was thinking 🙌🏻💜
I know right! I would kill for blue walls
Yes! I love the blue!
I concur! I love the blue.
Absolutely
The pure joy that visibly radiates from you when you finally get all the books set up is wonderful to watch! I am so happy for you Jack!
I did a similar thing a couple of weeks ago - but I had a friend to help! Building Billy Bookcases is easier with a friend as you can double check you’re doing it right. Congratulations on your library!
Edit: if there’s any way you can fix them to the walls do it. It’s reasonably easy to plug the holes again when you move out but will make the book cases so much more solid. It’s no fun when it falls over.
Wow, yesterday I went book shopping and in my Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders infused Cillian Murphy obsession I wondered: "Did Cillian ever recommend any books? Jack is someone who makes vidoes about this kind of stuff... I wonder if he's gonna make one". And here we are. Very excited for that one!!
Also, loved this video to pieces, very oddly calming watching you lose your mind over placing books.
This turned out great! But pro tip: best way to divide the shelves is to make them all BUT the top one (and bottom one if that's the case) the same height. You want the shelves that are on your eye level to be the same height, because those are the ones your eye can easily compare. The very top shelf is furthest from your eye and you'll already be looking at it from an angle, so your perception of its height will already be kind of warped. It also looks more intentional this way, because it makes sense to leave the very very top part with more space (you'd want the shelf to be lower anyway so it's easier to reach).
Super smart and logical
And it makes sense (at least for me) to have more space at the bottom for heavy bigger books like Clcoffee table books, encyclopaedias....
@@asee7657 very true! And that way you have some leeway so you can store shorter and taller books, both the paperbacks and the hardbacks!
a gentle reminder from a swede and ikea furniture building professional, that in the future, if you use a blanket or the box underneath to protect the wood from scratching you might save yourself from one last breakdown. well done!
Watching others put together IKEA furniture is such a binding experience; shared trauma and all that. I'm as excited as you, and they're not even my books. Also, if you don't dream of a Beauty and the Beast book ladder, are you even a reader? Can't wait to see the finished product.
Ever since 20:30 I was stressing like " noo jack! Dont make the units top-heavy! Fill them bottom to top instead!" Im so glad they didn't fall lol.
The think that baffled me the most is the fact that you actually know ALL OF THESE BOOKS.
like if you go to a library, u don necessary know ALL of the books on a shelf u see, but THIS. all of THIS, u know them. And to see it all like this on a shelf in your own house is so WOW to me.
Little bit of a suggestion regarding the brace Jack, in Japan, whenever we put up a shelf that doesn’t go all the way up to the ceiling and have no way of taking it down again to put up a brace, we buy ceiling braces, which is just an extension pole that pushes against the top of the shelf and against the ceiling, preventing it from falling over during an earthquake. It’s called an earthquake protection bar and it doesn’t require any screws, all you have to do is mount it on. I know NY doesn’t have many earthquakes, but it’s always a good safety measure!
That is a great idea, but he’s in the UK (British plug sockets) and we virtually never have earthquakes :)
@@gracemcleod6503he lives in NY.
@@gemmaaa2781 I know he lives in New York, but his bookshelves are in a house in the UK, so little to no earthquakes.
@@gracemcleod6503I think this has nothing to do with earthquakes but more so with the fact of securing it somehow. Shelfs can topple over so IKEA has to provide the screws to secure them. If anything happens to someone or something bc they crashed you will be responsible for the damage and no insurance will cover it. I think that's why they suggested that safety measure 😊 Not just bc of earthquakes 😂😁
That’s a great idea! I’ve been so worried seeing these shelves top heavy they might fall over. That top brace would be perfect.
So glad you are organising your books by choice other than colour. It drives me crazy to see colour not by genre or authors.
Watching Jack going insane talking about inconsistent shelf layout has made my day. Glad you finally put your library together ❤
I can’t believe how relatable this.
The ladder (which is the dream of every reader)
The lactose intolerance
Being too lazy to wait for coffee
And of course living vicariously while he made his home library.
"I procrastinated and then suddenly it was the evening and then it was the night and then it was now" this is the mood
And when the world needed him most, he returned . 29:55 it's sooo satisfying to watch the shelves fill up!.
27:47 Noooo the poor duck!!!😭😂
Looks incredible for the record!
Happy to assist the inauguration of the Jack Edward’s library (and happy to see you living your best life) 🎉
a 40 minute vlog of jack building bookshelves? we've been blessed
Yes boss it's 40 minutes😊. I also started creating video on books hope you like it check it now😊😊
Assembling furniture like this is such a guilty pleasure for me, I take it as a puzzle and it's just so satisfying and rewarding and basically therapy
hi jack! since you'll be buying more shelves for the bookcase, i thought i'd let you know that the bookcase tends to sag after a few years (especially if you keep a ton of books on them, ironic i know). but if you want to prevent that from happening & reinforce it, you should add glue to the sides of the shelf before screwing them together. it adds a few more years to the shelf life ☺️
@@katv1195 you can't flip the shelves on the new ones! 🥲 that screw thing that jack jammed into the side & messed up the layout makes it so that you can only use the shelf on one side
I'm so happy for Jack. It's literally every book lovers' dream.
✨Manifesting ✨
If you let me read some, I'll gladly become a live-in librarian 🙃
He won't invite a roblox girl to his house to read his books and live with him
@@xSakuraStrawberryx No because I know you're not talking with your content. I'm not even gonna spend time on this, go to bed.
@@RianPuplmaooo 😭
@@RianPup not u eating them up 💀
1:23 RIGHT?! my biggest ambition in life is not only to have a personal library of my own but to also have the SLIDEY LADDER (which i’d actually need because i’m too short to reach high shelves)
I cannot wait to watch part 2, this video is probably one of the best personal library/ bookcase videos on TH-cam right now. I love the layout of your books and the lighting is amazing. Really good stuff!
The assembly arc is so relatable. The smugness, the realization, the fury, the redemption 😄
you radiate so much joy and happiness and I love to watch your videos🫶🏻🥺 keep doing your thing you are amazing💫
This video is everything that we needed, you made funny the frustration that comes with building literally anything while radiating a level of comfort that is wild. Thanks Jack 💙
OMG I freaking love this!!! We need a follow up vid on how you decorated the remainder of your home library!!!!
I think the shelves make the blue walls pop out in a really good way! The library looks great 😍
Just a little tip: put some sturdy cardboard or wood over the corner shelf so nothing accidentally falls into the space between 😊
I've never tried to put together IKEA furniture, but I can confirm that trying to put together Walmart furniture also brings about homicidal rage. Kudos to surviving and putting together an amazing library!! This is my dream when I have my own apartment/house, so thank you for letting us live vicariously through you. I am excited for the future videos of your library.
I put together a walmart bookshelf last year. I became very violent. But IKEA furniture? It breaks you. You question ur life choices. You either end up in jail or in a corner, rocking yourself while the 2,000 remaining pieces taunt you. I still need therapy for the many ikea items ive put together over the last 4 years.
Took me a while to watch the whole video. So satisfying to get to the end with so many books in the shelfs!
When I left home I only had two bookshelfs in my room, now I have A room full of them plus some others elsewhere in the apartment (and yes, I have a small ladder). It's fun moving them around to figure out how best to group them. So far for me it's a mix of genres and country/continent of origin. It's good to try different ways to organize to see what's more useful for you.
Dude when you said all you want from life is those slide-y ladders for your bookshelf, I literally screamed out loud YES!!!!!! I’ve barely started this video and I feel so SEEN ❤❤❤❤ Last time I counted my books I was at 960 a few years back and I literally have purchased more than 40 books since the last count. Hell I picked up Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and Lightbringer by Pierce Brown last night. I’m on IKEA’s website now cause I need at least one more shelf for some release.
Thank you for showing the struggle with the placement of the shelves and all. I can't wait to see you finish the bookshelf building with the extra shelves and do all the different book organization methods you are talking about!
🤣 I so relate to "I was so smug" followed by a meltdown! I was building ikea furniture last week and had the same experience 🤣
Jack’s in his home refurbishment era and we’re all here for it 🫶🏻
thank you for this video jack, i was literally crying and now this saved my day
sending you a big hug!!!
Your stress over the shelves is hilarious and entirely relatable. Your dog is adorable and it makes me laugh that you stop to review books. The procrastination and torture of flat pack is strong and I think every book nerd in the world wants the home library with the moving ladder.
i finished this video feeling better than i expected. the vibes were just cozy and *nice*. thanks for living my dream for me, jack :')
Jack getting excited at the end of this video about getting a step stool is the cutest thing ever! This is exactly something I would do I'm excited to see how it all turns out in the end!!
Dude. It looks amazing. If I were you.. I would purchase a cozy chair and sit in front of the shelves for hours at a time just appreciating the gorgeous books 😍
with some good scotch!!
I just recently did a full redecorate and redo of my craft room, and just this morning I took my first coffee of the day and went in there to just SIT, have my magic bean juice, and admire the gorgeous space. He’s done a lovely thing with his library.
Aside from the immaculate content of this video, I have to say that your dog warms my heart - he's such a loyal soul and you can feel his love for you through the screen.
Finally!! Loved this. I am excited for the organization videos!! 😁 Enjoy your shelves 🤍
Actually so lovely to see this man so excited about his shelves and books - this is the positive content the world needs! Glad you're falling back in love with making the content and that you're having fun with this library, you deserve it!
Congratulations on this beautiful and cozylibrary! The wood shelves really complement the blue wall.
ps. I love that Archie was so supportive throughout the process!
Im beyond jealous and joyous that you finally got the time to make your personal library! Let the endless stacking of books commence
Omg thank you for figuring out the perfect way to align the shelves like you did! I've been wanting to move my shelves closer together then buy extras but I have been procrastinating figuring out the spacing.
OMG.what i JOY to watch this video.i'm sooo happy for you jackkk and the way you are EXCITED for this dream library just makes my heart warmmm(and also made me count my books after a while-475)cannnn't wait to watch the series✨✨
Building your own personal library..Jack you are living my dream life.This was so satisfying to watch..Congratulations..So happy for you.
Hey Jack! Wanted to let you know about the Philadelphia Bookstore Map, which was just released! It was a grassroots effort to create a map that shows all the bookstores in Philly--could be a fun video idea whenever you're in the US again!
ooou tysm this is so cool as someone who’s lived in philly their whole life
Omg cute!! I literally went to Giovanni’s room today and saw them lol
@thescarediest I am literally copy-pasting this comment into all his new videos hoping he sees it lol
I really want to visit Giovanni's Room! I haven't made it just yet but it looks great. I love Philly AIDS thrift
wow. when i worked in center city in the mid-90's there was only a B & N. fabulous that there is a map of all the bookstores!!! i
love it
@@jmsl_910 I think they closed the b&n in rittenhouse? wild!
The absolute joy on your face as you finished that first bookshelf is so wholesome, I love readers so much
Your happiness is legit so contagious 😭💗 it's 11 pm and I'm jumping with joy! Congratulations JACK📚📚📚📚
Are you going to scan them all into a database?? I love seeing people do that!
i hope he does, he has a huge collection and i think scanning them right away will help him with all the reorganizing he plans on doing!
Out of curiosity, how does one do that?
@@ose5226I'm assuming you would use the isbn on the back/dust jacket and a phone app
Is there a software for that?
i had the same thought.. organizing 1,000+ books w pen and paper sounds painful lol it would be cool to see all the data as well with percentages, color codes and stuff
I'm so happy and proud of you. You've worked really hard and loved so many of those stories. I hope this space becomes a space that feels like home for you. Sending so much love ❤
Ah, I remember putting together these things 5 years ago... except: picture the layout you have, but in the middle of the room, plus the mirror image of what you have, creating a U-form. A later addition maybe 1-2 years on was 8 more facing the other way around the back of the U. We added doors to two of those. Ikea-Billy Doors are another sort of hell - I'll take more bookcases over putting on doors. We use KOHA (open-source library software) to keep track of our books, 4K and counting at this stage (yay pandemic for "providing" time to enter them all). Wishing you great satisfaction in periodically rearranging everything!
youre so real for not lying about being unproductive for that day, thank you it makes me feel better about myself
As a proud Billy bookcase owner, remember to mount them to the wall for more stability! Congrats
he said he didn't
Wow,looks great,it is indescribable feeling when you can sit and enjoy that view ❤
Congrats 🍾
Can’t wait for the organization video 😍 you slayed the bookshelf making Jack
Yes! 100% yes with the step ladder/stepstool being added to the room. It's definitely romantic to be surrounded by books and needing a little step to reach them all imo. Thank you for sharing this!
OMG! It is absolutely GORGEOUS library JACK LOVE IT!!😊
We need this so bad! We have thousands of books in different size shelves. Most are in our basement but they’re still in every single room except kitchen and bathroom. Love our books ❤❤❤❤
This video came at the perfect time! We are planning to make a mini library with these same bookshelves and were in Ikea today to get them, now I know I love how they look and am excited to get started!
I think I speak for everyone when I ask, “what city is your library being installed in?” Home in UK or NYC? Not in a creepy way, I just need to know where this amazing collection exists 😂
I love this so much! Congrats Jack! Your library is coming along beautifully and I can’t wait to see the final results when it’s fully furnished!
I'd gladly run all the way to your place from my country to give you a hand in arranging this. Congratulations! You're so sweet 😭
i was feeling so sad and overwhelmed but then I stumbled across this. thank you for uploading your videos when I'm feeling down. love u Jack
Janet evanovich’s writing is a full on mood. I love her so much❤