Browsing living room bookshelves

A DigitalNZ Story by Zokoroa

Images of personal libraries, including homes of NZ authors, with varying styles of bookshelves

Books, Living rooms, Lounges, Authors, Reading, Authors

Bookshelves lining living room walls

Images of personal libraries show varying styles of bookshelves over the decades - built-in and standalones that frame walls, doorways and fireplaces.

[Portrait of a woman and two small dogs in a living room]

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Library, McLean Home, Napier Terrace, Napier

MTG Hawke's Bay

Tonkin, Lance, fl 1959 :Photograph of Rev Dr Thomas Nisbet

Alexander Turnbull Library

Lord and Lady Doneraile in the panelled living room of their attractive home

Auckland Libraries

John Latham at home in Ngaruawahia, 1905

Auckland Libraries

Interiors.

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Kenyon, Brand and Riggs,Heating Campaign

Alexander Turnbull Library

Living room of Alington house, 60 Homewood Crescent, Karori, Wellington

Alexander Turnbull Library

Lounge in a home in Bishopdale

Christchurch City Libraries

Home portraits of Otto Groen and his family, 1960

Auckland Libraries

Slide showing the interior of the home of Hans and Martha Lachmann, Wellington; work by Sue Goldberg on right wall

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

BookShelves in authors' homes

The living rooms of authors display their personalities and their bookshelves gives insights into their literary interests and influences. You may even spot an author's own works!

Children's author, Margaret Mahy

Christchurch City Libraries

Katherine Mansfield and John Middleton Murry, Chaucer Mansions, Kensington, London

Alexander Turnbull Library

Photograph of Sylvia Ashton-Warner sitting at her typewriter

Alexander Turnbull Library

Interior, Frank Sargeson's house, Takapuna

Auckland Libraries

Writing desk and bookshelves, Frank Sargeson's house, Takapuna.

Auckland Libraries

Photographs of Judith Binney taken by Gil Hanly

Alexander Turnbull Library

Charles Orwell Brasch, about 1955

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

[John A. Lee]

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Group of Wellington writers in the study of Pat Lawlor's home

Alexander Turnbull Library

Bookshelf layout reveals your personality!

How do you like to sort and place your books on your shelves? - alphabetically, by genre, colour-coded, chronologically by literary period, book value, stack in piles, or ???? Your chosen layout can reveal your personality - See DigitalNZ story.

USER STORY

DigitalNZ Story

Bookshelf layout reveals your personality

DigitalNZ

Librarians' Shelfies of home libraries during Covid

During COVID-19 lockdown, Christchurch City Libraries' staff shared photographs of their bookshelves at home. You may spot some titles you have in your own collection or local public library!