Again, via Jennifer, more library porn. Oh, this stuff is luscious. Someone in the comments says: if I could have carnal relations with a library, this one would be near the top of the list. And for once I almost understand.
If I win the Mega Millions lottery, I would have a big library, all walnut bookshelves and Turkey carpets and French windows onto the lawn. Several comfy club chairs, a couple of sofas, decanters of Armagnac and port, two or three huge library desks, lots of sunlight but thick velvet curtains for the night time (with the fire and the Armagnac). Espresso machine. Tea kettle. Industrial toaster. Perhaps a little fridge for the caviar…
Nicola Griffith 
A number of years ago, I had an apartment across the street from The Morgan Library in NYC. I would go over there almost every weekend, it was such an incredible place to walk around. I would marvel at the collection of books but most of all I loved the architecture and design of the library. All the dark woods, the enormous desk, the tapestry, I really wanted to move in!I am very envious of Mr. Walker, maybe I can beg for a private tour.:)
You would also have Karina camping outside your library, begging to be let in—and for espresso.
That’s a <>hawt<> library, all right… I could go for some guy-on-library action with it myself.But it seems mostly to be for show, not for use. (I’m sorry, Nicola, you’ve probably noticed by now what a cynical old git I am.) Did you notice this line: “Walker frequently meets with the Walker Digital brain trust in the seating area of the library, hoping to draw inspiration from the surroundings.” Or this one: “Walker shuns the sort of bibliomania that covets first editions for their own sake—many of the volumes that decorate the library’s walls are leather-bound Franklin Press reprints.” Now, I have nothing against Franklin Press reprints in themselves, but it <>sounds<> as if Mr. Walker just wanted them as classy-looking objects to fill out the shelf space. I wonder how many of those books he actually bought himself?Everybody has different turn-ons of course, and my personal library porn would be more like < HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/garden/15library.html?_r=2&ref=books&oref=slogin&oref=slogin" REL="nofollow">Alberto Manguel’s.<> It’s also his workroom (which brings to mind your post on writers’ rooms.) None of this fake old English country house stuff for me, but probably not even Manguel’s presbytery. If I won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, I’d get a loft in some city, maybe Chicago or Seoul, and go from there. Your tastes are richer than mine, I think. ^_^
Nicola, your library is almost exactly what I’ve envisioned mine to be. .wistful sigh.Karina, mind if I join you in your camp-out? :)The only thing I might add is a secret door behind one of the shelves. Leads to the bedroom.How much would a library like that cost to build, you think?
<>janine<>, please, join me. My tent sleeps four. And as to how much would that library cost to build… It depends where you are in the world. My mom or dad in Mexico could probably afford having one of those built down there. But I don’t think they hold libraries in such high esteem as we do.
That made my parents sound like rich people. What I meant is that they could afford it provided they sold everything they have (including the cars they drive), pulled all their savings from the bank, etc. While that would build them the library of my dreams in Mexico, they could probably only buy two or three decent houses in decent neighborhoods in decent cities with the same amount in the US or the UK or Canada. I think that’s why Mexico has some of the nicest and largest movie theaters in the world: cheap labor, cheap materials.
I’ve been chatting with Robin Hobb over on my < HREF="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=167271744&blogID=440200001" REL="nofollow">MySpace blog<> and have come to conclusion that there’s a Platonic ideal of a library floating out there in the aether.I don’t want to build my library, I want it to just sort of appear, rise up from the lake like a hand holding a sword.I’ve always wanted to live in a house with 22-foot ceilings and formal reception rooms and huge grounds and the staff to take care of it. The library would just…be there, stuffed with treasures awaiting discovery.Oh, and I forgot the terrestrial and stellar globes standing on either side of one of the windows. Big ones, inlaid with gold wire and jewels…
Oh, I like that conversation on your MySpace. And the image of your library rising from a lake. It’s Arthuriana that doesn’t make me squirm. I guess janine and I can draw invisibility cloaks over us so you can still think there are no human campers out on your estates. Only wild things. Unless we also qualify as wild things. I think we may. I like the Sandman’s library. I can’t remember if it holds all the books people haven’t written yet, or books that hold dreams people have or haven’t dreamed. What I do remember is that it’s grand and full of magic. It looks way cool and is constantly rearranging itself. Garth Nix also writes some pretty neat libraries in his Abhorsen series. I’d love to find any of these magic places and beg for some espresso and a library card.
Oh, I’d be happy to invite friends in every now and again to sip Armagnac (or coffee or tea) by the fire and pore over some magical book never before seen by mortal eyes. But the woods are mine.
*goes into stealth mode*
library porn has become fashion lately, even here, in remote romania. there’s even an exhibitionist meme going on the blogs (display your bookcases!) that i indulged myself too (here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31160494@N04/). and i proudly admit my voyeurism in this matter :)
horia, it looks like a fabulous library!
Well, here’s my participation (or whatever the word would be) in the < HREF="http://thisislikesogay.blogspot.com/2008/10/hot-hot-man-2-library-action.html" REL="nofollow">library exhibitionist meme.<>