How big is your numismatic library?

MrEureka · February 19, 2013 7:45AM

For the past couple of months, I've been working on getting my library properly shelved and organized. On a lark, I just measured the shelf footage. Came to 150 feet. I'm not sure if that's extreme or pathetic. Please tell me about your numismatic libraries. I need a reality check!

lordmarcovan · February 19, 2013 7:57AM

Hmm... if we're going by linear shelf footage, I would guestimate I'm at... uh... maybe eight to ten feet or so.

Edit to add: I live in a dinky trailer, so sadly, I don't have room for a lot of the things I'd like to have room for.

2ndCharter · February 19, 2013 8:21AM

Only about 40 feet - but that's just paper money-related material since that's my main collecting area.

A few shelves - probably several feet - have coin-related stuff.

coinkat · February 19, 2013 8:30AM

Does that include catalogs?

I am conceding that I do not have 150 ft regardless of what is counted

MrEureka · February 19, 2013 9:16AM

Does that include catalogs?

Yes, and auction catalogs are probably half of what I have.

RobP · February 19, 2013 9:16AM

Quite sensible, not extreme and very useful. I'm afraid I only have about 120 feet or thereabouts.

SmEagle1795 · February 19, 2013 9:44AM

About 60 feet and growing, if I count history books. I'm half way through "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" (unabridged) which is about two feet in itself!

Iosephus · February 19, 2013 12:26PM

Wow, do I feel inadequate. Mine's probably only about 20 feet when all of the random piles are combined.

Aethelred · February 19, 2013 12:41PM

I would guess 30-40 feet and I am trying to shrink that to about 21 feet.

ColinCMR · February 19, 2013 1:42PM

probably 4 ft of strictly books, no auction catalogs nor magazines included

fun question though!

ormandh · February 19, 2013 1:51PM

Mine is crazy, because I think that I actually been able to squeeze so much into this little Mac I have that it could probably fill a Library!

Seriously, I have about 20 linear feet of shelf with guides and such, but I probably have 20 more feet of books in boxes which I failed to unpack from 2006.

-Dan

DennisH · February 20, 2013 12:59AM

5 shelves in my bookcase.

CIVITAS · February 20, 2013 1:48AM

Looks like between Ben and I combined, we're up to 210 linear feet + about 200 books stacked on the floor because we ran out of space to put in book shelves...

I vote extreme in our case.

Pokermandude · February 20, 2013 2:32AM

Maybe half the length of my arm. Online bookmarks though are another matter

MacCrimmon · February 20, 2013 4:06AM

Physical space? 'Bout 24 feet, give or take, not counting the 100+ 1980-1990 auction cats residing in cardboard boxes in the attic.

olmanjon · February 20, 2013 5:16AM

I feel like a piker. Only have 7 feet. Mostly foreign books. Don't update them every year. To expensive. Only been into the foreign about six years though.

bosox · February 20, 2013 5:24AM

About 25 feet.

bidask · February 20, 2013 6:15AM

<< For the past couple of months, I've been working on getting my library properly shelved and organized. On a lark, I just measured the shelf footage. Came to 150 feet. I'm not sure if that's extreme or pathetic. Please tell me about your numismatic libraries. I need a reality check! >>

You have a big house!

MacCrimmon · February 20, 2013 6:38AM

<< 

<< For the past couple of months, I've been working on getting my library properly shelved and organized. On a lark, I just measured the shelf footage. Came to 150 feet. I'm not sure if that's extreme or pathetic. Please tell me about your numismatic libraries. I need a reality check! >>

You have a big house! >>

He really is the Earl at Downton Abbey.

If I blew out the small closet in my office and added nothing but bookcases on the two walls behind me I could maybe "procure" 96 linear feet, but then I'd lose my comfy double-stuffed chair, and a good single malt just isn't the same while sitting in this office chair.

bidask · February 20, 2013 7:25AM

<< 

<< 

<< For the past couple of months, I've been working on getting my library properly shelved and organized. On a lark, I just measured the shelf footage. Came to 150 feet. I'm not sure if that's extreme or pathetic. Please tell me about your numismatic libraries. I need a reality check! >>

You have a big house! >>

He really is the Earl at Downton Abbey.

If I blew out the small closet in my office and added nothing but bookcases on the two walls behind me I could maybe "procure" 96 linear feet, but then I'd lose my comfy double-stuffed chair, and a good single malt just isn't the same while sitting in this office chair.

>>

Don't give up that comfy double-stuffed chair and a good single malt .........

MrEureka · February 20, 2013 7:35AM

If I blew out the small closet in my office and added nothing but bookcases on the two walls behind me I could maybe "procure" 96 linear feet, but then I'd lose my comfy double-stuffed chair, and a good single malt just isn't the same while sitting in this office chair.

No need to sacrifice anything, folks.

coinkat · February 20, 2013 9:47AM

No, I so happen to be the Earl

Cocoinut · February 22, 2013 12:04PM

About 35 feet, excluding catalogs. The most frequently used volumes are on a heavy, 15 linear foot wooden shelf purchased when the neighborhood Barnes and Noble bookstore closed a couple of years ago.

Jim

LochNESS · February 22, 2013 10:26PM

I converted our sun room into a floor-to-ceiling library two Summers ago, if I had to guess it's around 150 linear feet, especially if I include the long boxes of Numismatist and auction catalogs I store on the very bottom shelf under the bench seat.

But less than 25% of that total footage is numismatic. So, don't feel bad about having so many books, just feel bad about not having any other interests

STLNATS · February 23, 2013 2:17AM

85 to 90 feet on book cases - including a some auctions with significant specialized collections. This does not include about 1 1/2 file cabinets of articles, notes, etc and a lot of boxes of more general cats in the basement nor history related books. Several years ago, I got rid of a number of general, older cats. They weren't indexed so were pretty hard to use and generally had no particular focus. At the time, I saved cats with important collections, which are basically references, Triton and Gemini series, etc for the shelves and many others that ended up in boxes in the basement that seemed too good not to keep.

Over half of my library is related to currency, primarily nationals, and includes contemporary bank directories and histories, comptroller of the currency reports, as well as a number of primary documents. I have about 15 feet of "use all the time" references in my study/computer room. Every 3/4 years I tend to reorganize the stuff to better reflect my interests (and frankly to find stuff that's misfiled or buried in piles here and there). Just did it between the holidays last year so I can find (almost) everything again!

lordmarcovan · March 14, 2013 7:42AM

My already modest library will be shrinking by two or three feet.

But these are the sacrifices one has to make if one lives in a dinky mobile home with very limited shelf space.

(Praise the Lord or Al Gore or whoever for the Internet!)

LochNESS · March 30, 2013 6:28PM

Lord M, look on the bright side: no matter where the road takes you, you're always Home.

I've spent a lot of time "on tour" with "glamorous" rock and roll bands. People tend to forget, even with a 4-hr gig you've still got 20 hours "on the road" and it usually isn't as "glamorous" as folks imagine. Bar food for dinner, "continental breakfast" in the morning.
Life in a mobile home starts to sound pretty tempting. The fact is, most touring artists have "tour busses" that are really just mobile homes. Big artists have actual busses. Smaller fries live in mini vans.

So look on the bright side!

DeliaBug · April 3, 2013 11:21AM

Significantly north of 150'.

Not counting any auction catalogs. They have their own room and that room is totally out of control.

How big is your numismatic library?

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