Photo: Ye Old Cat Prints

Has your cat ever walked across your keyboard? Well, it’s not a new problem. Medieval book historian Erik Kwakkel recently Tweeted this photo of a 15th century book with… you guessed it… cat paw prints in ink on the pages! We’re part of a long and glorious historical movement, friends. 

Source: Dr. Marty Becker

Photo: Stuttgart Library

Nicknamed “Book Mountain” by its designers at Dutch architecture firm MVRDV, the new 100,000 square foot public library in Spijkenisse, Netherlands is an 85 foot tall glass pyramid housing a spiraling arrangement of bookcases within. Visitors to the library can peruse more than 10,000 feet of shelves and enjoy a bit of reading at a café at the top of the pyramid.

Photo: Stuttgart Library

Stuttgart Library

Photo: Vennesla Library

Vennesla Library & Cultural Center

Vennesla, Norway

"The new library in Vennesla comprises a library, a café, meeting places and administrative areas and links an existing community house and learning centre together."

Photo: LiYuan Library

LiYuan Library

Photo: Stuttgart Library

New library in Stuttgart by DieterJL

Photo: Ode to a Bookstore Death

Things We Never Told You: Ode to a Bookstore Death

Quote

Books vs. TV by Sirfessor

Photo: Books For Walls

The walls of David Bouley's new Japanese restaurant Brushstroke are very literally lined with books - over twelve thousand of them.  The interior was designed by Super Potato, using stone, reclaimed timber, salvaged steel, and, of course, books, as the primary design elements. God help them all if there's ever a fire!  Check out more photos at Gothamist.

Photo: Final Fate of the Britannica

Finally, a good use for all of those old volumes of Britannica laying about.

Photo: Harry Potter Proposal

Redditor trehlo says, “This is how I proposed to my girlfriend.”

Photo: Sign of the Times

A Borders going-out-of-business photo from Reddit

 

Last week, The New York Times reported that Borders' bankruptcy plan has faced criticism: “publishers characterized the plan as unrealistic and said they were more convinced than ever that Borders would be forced to sell itself or liquidate.”

Depressing, but much like Circuit City and Blockbusters, no surprise whatsoever.  Not only did the three chains fail to keep abreast of technological change, all three offered a shopping experience somehow less enjoyable than their immediate competitor.  Barnes & Noble stores have always made for a nicer afternoon of browsing than the local Borders.  I'm not sure if was the staff or just the ambiance, but I've never been able to really relax at a Borders.

Photo: Borders Sign

This sign was spotted by a Reddit user on the door of a Chicago Borders.  I get the feeling that the store's employees aren't too happy about the company being forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  Of course, that's just a guess.

For another taste of the Borders employee rage at their collective LiveJournal Community, I Work at Borders.

Source: Reddit

Photo: AIU Library

AIU Library
Akita, Japan

Source: jjreade Flickr Photostream

Photo: Book Porn

Source: Kevin van der Leek

Photo: Royal Portuguese Reading Room

Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (Royal Portuguese Reading Room)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The interior of Real Gabinete Português is four stories tall, capped with a stained-glass cupola and illuminated by an elaborate chandelier. Built in 1837 by the Portuguese, the reading room contains over 350,000 volumes, many of them from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Source: Soldon's Flickr Photostream [Translation]

Photo: NYC Public Library

NYC Public Library by Michael Hong

Photo: Expresso Bar

D'espresso in New York was designed by Nemo Workshop to look like a library flipped on its side.  The ceiling, floor, and a wall is covered in tiles that have photographs of books printed on them.  The opposing wall is covered in what appears to be parqay flooring.  It's a fantastic theme, but they need to bolt a globe and some couches on that floor-wall. Via.

Photo: Billboard

Source: Christal Sedlock

Photo: Beware of the Book

Watch out!  Free-ranging ideas on the loose.