Comments on: Books marching around a bookcase: stop-motion animation http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 18 May 2013 08:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1035013 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1035013 would you just look at it would you just look at it

]]> By: Amelia_G http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1035296 Amelia_G Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1035296 This delightful video (and "The Book on the Bookshelf" by Henry Petroski) remind me of the story about Gore Vidal's grandfather renting out his D.C. house and returning to find the tenants had rearranged the blind senator's books by color. This delightful video (and “The Book on the Bookshelf” by Henry Petroski) remind me of the story about Gore Vidal’s grandfather renting out his D.C. house and returning to find the tenants had rearranged the blind senator’s books by color.

]]> By: DStein http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034278 DStein Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034278 in her mind, she's probably arranging all her past boyfriends like that, too... in her mind, she’s probably arranging all her past boyfriends like that, too…

]]> By: pumuckl http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034808 pumuckl Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034808 Same here. Same here.

]]> By: GyroMagician http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034332 GyroMagician Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034332 I arrange my fiction in random order, and encourage other people to move books around. Manual shuffle if you will. It makes browsing so much more interesting. I seem to sort technical books by size and colour, internally at least. It works well for me, but confuses my students no end when I suggest they look something up in, e.g., the small pink book with the orange thing on the front. Excellent video - a truly wonderful thing. I like the dancing dragon on the table on the left. I arrange my fiction in random order, and encourage other people to move books around. Manual shuffle if you will. It makes browsing so much more interesting.

I seem to sort technical books by size and colour, internally at least. It works well for me, but confuses my students no end when I suggest they look something up in, e.g., the small pink book with the orange thing on the front.

Excellent video – a truly wonderful thing. I like the dancing dragon on the table on the left.

]]> By: Strange Quark Star http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034612 Strange Quark Star Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034612 "This video is not available in your country", for no reason. Germany, in my case. “This video is not available in your country”, for no reason. Germany, in my case.

]]> By: taj1f http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034146 taj1f Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034146 Just look at that awesome, random, dancing banana. Just look at it. Just look at that awesome, random, dancing banana.

Just look at it.

]]> By: jack5225 http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034151 jack5225 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034151 My girlfriend arranges our bookshelves by size. It is infuriating. Just a completely illogical way to sort books. My girlfriend arranges our bookshelves by size. It is infuriating. Just a completely illogical way to sort books.

]]> By: Elliott C. 'Eeyore' Evans http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034161 Elliott C. 'Eeyore' Evans Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034161 It's not necessarily illogical. Some people's are more likely to remember physical aspects of a book than they are to remember a useless thing like the "name" of the "author". For instance, if you're looking for the novel with the orange cover that's just a bit thicker than the poetry book with the blue cover and a bit taller than the biography with the red cover, having books arranged by author name can really ruin your day. It’s not necessarily illogical. Some people’s are more likely to remember physical aspects of a book than they are to remember a useless thing like the “name” of the “author”. For instance, if you’re looking for the novel with the orange cover that’s just a bit thicker than the poetry book with the blue cover and a bit taller than the biography with the red cover, having books arranged by author name can really ruin your day.

]]> By: Ipo http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034934 Ipo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034934 This. This.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034938 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034938 Actually, if you are a book collector and concerned about keeping hardcover books in the best condition, arranging them by height, with the back edges aligned (not the spines), is the best way to ensure the covers have enough support so that they don't warp. Loved the video! Actually, if you are a book collector and concerned about keeping hardcover books in the best condition, arranging them by height, with the back edges aligned (not the spines), is the best way to ensure the covers have enough support so that they don’t warp.

Loved the video!

]]> By: Nadreck http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034171 Nadreck Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034171 Arrangement by size is the most efficient use of bookshelf volume (provided you can adjust shelf height) and is the way that the space-starved British National Library arranges most of their collection. The only exception is a tower of books bequeathed to the collection by some king with the provision that the collection not be broken up. Arrangement by size is the most efficient use of bookshelf volume (provided you can adjust shelf height) and is the way that the space-starved British National Library arranges most of their collection. The only exception is a tower of books bequeathed to the collection by some king with the provision that the collection not be broken up.

]]> By: tyger11 http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034172 tyger11 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034172 Melvil Dewey is not amused. I am, though! Melvil Dewey is not amused.

I am, though!

]]> By: V http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034174 V Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034174 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQvOnDlql5g Dick: I guess it looks as if you're reorganizing your records. What is this though? Chronological? Rob: No... Dick: Not alphabetical... Rob: Nope... Dick: What? Rob: Autobiographical. Dick: No fucking way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQvOnDlql5g

Dick: I guess it looks as if you’re reorganizing your records. What is this though? Chronological?
Rob: No…
Dick: Not alphabetical…
Rob: Nope…
Dick: What?
Rob: Autobiographical.
Dick: No fucking way.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034183 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034183 Like watching windows defrag your drive. Like watching windows defrag your drive.

]]> By: jack5225 http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034184 jack5225 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034184 LOL - you're right, "completely illogical" might have been the wrong wording. I stand by "infuriating" tho. Just try finding "The Death of Ivan Ilych" among 300-odd paperbacks exactly the same size without sputtering curses for the duration of the search. And yes, size is an efficient way to store books providing a) shelf space is at a premium and b) you have some sort of catalog to locate the damn books. Trust me, for a book owner who actually uses his books, this is a terribly inefficient system. Good for storage, bad for usage. LOL – you’re right, “completely illogical” might have been the wrong wording. I stand by “infuriating” tho. Just try finding “The Death of Ivan Ilych” among 300-odd paperbacks exactly the same size without sputtering curses for the duration of the search.

And yes, size is an efficient way to store books providing a) shelf space is at a premium and b) you have some sort of catalog to locate the damn books. Trust me, for a book owner who actually uses his books, this is a terribly inefficient system. Good for storage, bad for usage.

]]> By: pauldavis http://boingboing.net/2011/02/23/books-marching-aroun.html#comment-1034478 pauldavis Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-1034478 in the early 1980's when i worked for the (then) world's largest record store as a stock handler, i could pretty much identify any record that had sold more than a few copies by the closed "title" edge of the sleeve only (without reading it, naturally). i thought that was pretty cool and it was a stepping stone to the kind of pattern recognition "reading" i do with technical documentation today. once i tried arranging my vinyl by color, but it was too boring - too much black and white, not enough color. in the early 1980′s when i worked for the (then) world’s largest record store as a stock handler, i could pretty much identify any record that had sold more than a few copies by the closed “title” edge of the sleeve only (without reading it, naturally). i thought that was pretty cool and it was a stepping stone to the kind of pattern recognition “reading” i do with technical documentation today.

once i tried arranging my vinyl by color, but it was too boring – too much black and white, not enough color.

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