Book Accessories & Home Libraries

This book accessory became almost obsolete now, but a hundred years ago or so you simply could not be a respectable book owner without owning at least on of these. Most books were published using a technology that required pages to be cut after binding, typically by the reader. Undoubtedly, there was something sentimental about cutting pages of a newly purchased book, as testified by this poem I found in an old magazine:
AN IVORY PAPER-KNIFE
John L. Spalding
O snow-white blade, thou openest for me
So many a page filled with delightful lore
Where …

This pyramid book rest is interesting in one particular respect. It is book accessory and a gift idea not only for readers of traditional books, but also for e-book owners! You can prop up a traditional book as well as a Kindle or Sony Reader using the special ledge. Maybe it works even better for e-books, because you don’t have to hold the device at all. Instead you can lean back and even put your hands behind your head. In fact, certain e-books have an autoscrolling mode. You can literally …

Book weights typically come under the name of weighted bookmarks. Personally, I never liked the idea of using anything but a flat paper or thin plastic bookmark, because other types of bookmarks can damage the book. The purpose of book weights is to hold down the book’s pages so they don’t close. Book weight is a great way to deal with a major inconvenience (especially if you are taking notes) without having to use bulky book holding devices. Leather is a common material for weighted bookmarks. I have seen some …

The term “page turner” usually applies to truly captivating works of fiction. This page turner is for real, though. It allows one to turn pages by simply pushing a button. I can imagine that for some handicapped people this may be an excellent thing to have. See pageflip.com for more details.

Popular Mechanics through the years has published many articles on crafting bookshelves and other book related items. Some of those issues can be accessed on Google Books for free, in their entirety. This particular article demonstrates how you can make bookends out of scrap wood. The idea can be easily expanded, because large pieces of just about any solid material can be fashioned into bookends.
Make your own bookend from scraps