Starting Your Nowbrary

A nowbrary usually fits in one bookcase, like a 2x4 Ikea Kallax. If you’re committing to a number of books, you’re committing to physical copies, a bookcase limits you to what you can see.

So how do you go about building a nowbrary? I’m not about to tell you to dump all your books out Kondo style. I’ll share my considerations so change them to what works for you, and bonus, you can use it as a reason to keep looking at your shelf and swapping books out or maybe even dusting once in a while.

What goes on mine

Before a book goes on, I ask myself two things. Would I pack it for a flight or a long train ride? And have I read it before, and would I read it again?

What comes off mine

Books come off when they’ve stayed unread and collecting dust, or when I’ve outgrown them. Little free libraries are a good place to take them. There are more than 200,000 of those boxes in 128 countries, so there may be one near you.

When a new book goes on the shelf, one usually has to come off to make room. A book you take off can go back on later. Maybe you gift it to a friend who you can reliably ask to return it when they’re done.

Sharing it

I wanted to stay away from yet another login, so a nowbrary needs no app and no account. If you want to share yours, a page at /nowbrary on your website does it, the same way people keep a /now page. A photo of the shelf works too. Update it when the shelf changes.