You can have the greatest library in the world, but, if you can't find that particular volume then your library is worthless. The number one thing you must have when starting this business is some type of strong shelving and proper storage.
You might be starting your appraisal career with a dozen volumes, or you might be established and have a library of thousands of titles. Either way, you've got to have proper storage / shelving.
Your ultimate goal is to have your own place. I understand this is not always possible. The author Virginia Wolfe is quoted as saying she "hoped in the future that all women would have a room of their own." That's what we as appraisers should strive for - our own room, our own place, to store our work.
Be creative with where you are at right now. You might want to start with a bookshelf or a bookcase in a corner of a room. Explore the options of a finished basement, space under a staircase, or in an unused guest room. Whatever direction you make, be sure that your shelving is strong! Sure, right now, it can hold a dozen books but what about in the future? What about when you collect several hundred? All bookcases, shelves or units MUST be firmly bolted to the wall, into masonry, or into wood studding.
DRY WALL IS NOT SECURE FOR BOLTING!
Make sure that ALL shelving is strong and re-enforced on the sides. An extra feature, but one that I don't really like is adjustable shelves. Just make sure that these are bracket arms that lock into slots in the back, that extend to the depth of the shelf. Little metal or plastic tabs on the sides to hold the shelf up will not last for very long. (To Read the Rest of the article click the Read More Link below)
If you have someone to build a bookcase, go immediately and find the tallest book in your collection and add half an inch to it and make that, for at least one section, the height of your shelves. I went to a lot of trouble to have a bookshelf made only to find that the shelves hold only a little taller than a modern novel. So some of my tall books have to lie sideways. It's not good for the book and it looks sloppy. Reference books are notorious for being oversized.
Don't be tempted to let others infiltrate your empty shelves with their cookbooks, toys, glassware, or other things. You'll need that space one day.
One last point, we’ve seen the shelter magazines with beautiful book cases with plants, clocks, globes, sculpture and the like sitting on the shelves with the books. Save that for your living room. This is your WORKING LIBRARY. Sure, you can make it attractive, but tuck small things on top of or in front of your books, not in place of your books. The object is to store your books, not your collections. More to come later on the essentials in your library.
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