Bookcase

A bookcase, or bookshelf, is a piece of furniture with horizontal shelves, often in a cabinet, used to store books or other printed materials.

Revolving bookcases, known as zhuanlunzang (Chinese: 轉輪藏; pinyin: zhuàn lún zàng), have been documented in imperial China, and its invention is credited to Fu Xi in 544.

[6] When books were written by hand and were not produced in great quantities, they were kept in small boxes or chests which owners (usually the wealthy aristocrats or clergy) carried with them.

[7] Both Chippendale and Sheraton made or designed many bookcases, mostly glazed with little lozenges encased in fretwork frames, often of great charm and elegance.

Mahogany, rosewood satinwood and even choicer exotic timbers were used; they were often inlaid with marquetry and mounted with chased and gilded bronze.

[7] In 1876, John Danner of Canton, Ohio, invented a revolving bookcase with a patented "pivot and post" design.

Thirty-two volumes of the American Cyclopedia could be stored in a compact space, and readily available for perusal at the touch of a finger.

Viewed as a progressive businessman, Danner was credited with drawing a large trade and business to the city of Canton.

[7] There are three common ways of arranging stationary bookcases: flat against the wall; in stacks or ranges parallel to each other with merely enough space between to allow for the passage of a librarian; or in bays or alcoves, where cases jut out into the room at right angles to the wall-cases.

[citation needed] The library of the City of London at the Guildhall is a peculiarly effective example of the bay arrangement.

Because of the danger of tripping on the floor-mounted rails or being crushed between bookcases, these systems may have electronic sensors and/or recessed track, or may be reserved for closed stacks where access is restricted.

When moving chambers, each shelf is carried separately without needing to remove its contents, and becomes a carrying-case full of books.

The better quality cases use a metal scissor mechanism inside the shelves to ensure that the ends of the doors move in parallel without skewing and jamming.

[citation needed] Each shelf of a true barrister's bookcase must be portable with a heavy load of books.

When the British burned down the capitol in 1814, Congress went into negotiations with Thomas Jefferson to purchase his personal library of about 6,700 books.

When it was time to transport the books, the individual shelves could be removed then reassembled once they made it to their final location.