Tips in Building A Book Nook At Home

Here are some tips for parents who are trying to build a library in their homes

The struggle to reduce screen time is real. Hiding places are getting old fast. Tantrums and power struggles are getting tiring. Worse, work and school are already in full-swing so there is some in-between fun-time screen time while they flip through tabs to make it look like they’re doing school work. To reduce that, some of us figured, “Hey, why not build a library at home?”

Tips for Building a Library at Home

Now, it may not rival the dream library from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, but it has to start somewhere. Here are some notes to consider when building a library at home.

Keep it in a dry but cool room

Ever wonder how a book’s pages yellow over time? That’s because of oxidation—once the paper starts “rotting,” it becomes more brittle and reacts to human oils and sweat. While we can’t completely stop the degradation, having an air conditioner or at least a cool but bright room can slow down the process.

Oh, and having a dehumidifier makes sure the moisture doesn’t build up and destroy the books!

Have a speaker for white noise in the room

Total silence can be unnerving for some people, so having a speaker playing lo-fi music or nature sounds can relax the mind. Sometimes, the music even offers better immersion for the story. Like if the kids are reading Lord of the Rings, they can play Enya or some Celtic bardic music in the background to truly feel like they’re in Middle-earth.

Have different kinds of chairs in the room

Sitting at a table and chair. Lying on a recliner. Slumping over the bean bags. Everyone has their own way of reading. Some kids, even though the book holds their attention, can be restless. Having different kinds of chairs in the library at home can trick their brains into thinking that they’re having a different or “newer” perspective when they change the way they sit.

Mix up some of the new and old books

Most libraries at home may be filled with the kids’ old textbooks from the last year, but where’s the fun in that? Getting fiction novels, manga, manhwa, or even art books can pique their interest. While today’s book plots may not be as great as they used to be in the 90s or the classics, the important part is that it’s a step in the right direction to balancing out the screen time.

Keep a strict “no eating” rule in the library

Nothing rots books faster than barbecue sauce or just sauce in general, staining the pages. Keep an alcohol and towel station at the entrance to the spot so they can wipe their hands before handling the books.

Have a recommended book list

Sometimes, making decisions is overwhelming. So having a list nearby helps. It doesn’t have to be some fancy-looking list; it can just be a whiteboard hanging from the back of the door or on the wall. It’ll narrow down the decision-making, and at the same time, it’s a cheat sheet for parents to see what their kids are reading.

Decorate the shelves with some figurines

Staring at books can be boring. Anime figurines or just typical ceramic ones can “liven up” or make the place look a little more whimsical. They don’t have to be those expensive ones either; some parents can even just recycle one of those old McDonald’s Happy Meal toys as a figurine or “book-keeper.”

Make some of the shelves “mobile”

More for cleaning purposes, libraries tend to be one of the “dustiest” places at home. Installing some wheels can make it easier for anybody—the household help, yourself, or even the kids—to clean up.

As for the shelves worth investing in and not too risky to modify—anyone up for a trip to IKEA?

Tips for Parents in Filling Up Their Home Library

Building up a library is one thing; filling up the shelves is another. Here are some tips for filling up the shelves:

• Don’t discriminate between kinds of books. Sometimes, we choose books without pictures because reading comics or picture books can feel immature. But, sometimes—those are the books with the best kind of plots. Batman, Superman, and even Tanjiro from Kimetsu no Yaiba—their stories offer lessons in resilience and critical moral debate sometimes.
• The books don’t always have to be brand new. Sure, it’s nice for many bookworms to marvel at books with an “unbroken” spine. Yet, a broken book spine is a sign of how loved the book might have been. Besides, preloved books are a whole lot cheaper. Some bookstores even sell them by the kilo!
• Do a book drive every end of the year to change up the stories. Having new books will keep encouraging the kids to come back. Look for the books they barely touched or read and donate them to a public or community library. It’s a win-win; the book finds a new home where it will be loved, and we have space for more books.

Don’t forget to use the library ourselves!

Kids mirror their parents. So what better way to encourage them to use the library than to use it ourselves? Besides, if we’re looking for ways to break out of our “doom-scrolling” habit or to reduce the time we spend on social media, this can definitely help.

Remember, the library doesn’t have to be so big. It can be small and curated; the important part is—there are books for our kids to read and enrich themselves with.

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