A Jay Gatsby Dream

The printed word has flowed through my blood since I first understood its meaning. I would read them; I would write them. Then, during an eleventh grade honors English course, I stumbled over a project that would provide years of self-care. Though there were many reasons to be enamored by The Great Gatsby, the encounter with a certain owl-eyed man was one that inspired my own journey of building a library. Since I was first exposed to this scene, the owl-eyed man’s proclamations regarding the books’ authenticity has remained in my mind always.

Ten years has passed since I was initially awestruck by this scene. I dedicate time to crafting this library project whenever I can. The first and continuous step I take is the thrilling task of collecting books. I envision a huge room dedicated to this home library, not one measly bookshelf. I get books from the store, both new and used, I get them from free book sites like the town dump, and I get them from the internet when other people have books to give away. It doesn’t matter what they are or where they come from, I collect as many books as I can.

The second phase of this project is constantly undergone, being necessary as each new book comes into the house. Each and every book in the collection must be catalogued. This process is less exciting than acquiring books but it is a great exercise in self-care. It gives me the chance to step away from deadlines at work or those dirty dishes piling up in the sink. Instead, I get to sit down with a pile of books and escape into their world. I use an account on the website Goodreads as my catalogue. Any book I own is added to my To Read list—unless I have read it, of course. Then it get added to the Read list. Goodreads lets me know when I already have a book. Most duplicates get thrown out of the collection to pass on to someone else but some are added anyway. I’ll keep a duplicate if it is a nice copy, like a hardcover, and I don’t know what my existing copy looks like. Why wouldn’t I know what my copy looks like? Because I started the catalogue ten years ago and most of my books are in boxes. Getting them out of these boxes is the final phase of this—but first, the research phase.

Another aspect of my library project that I find relaxing is research. Owning the book is not enough. I must know what genre it is and if it is part of a series. Sometimes books will have spinoffs or companion books that I’d have no idea existed without this research. Along with having all real books in my library, I strive for it to be as complete as possible. If I already own one book in a series, I will aim to acquire the complete set. The same can be said for authors. When I own one book by a particular author, I will invest in other books by that author when I see them. The Goodreads catalogue helps me to know what to buy and what not to buy if I already own it. According to the catalogue, I currently own 7,872 printed books. And they take up space.

The final phase of this project is actually making space for the library. For the past seven years, I’ve lived in a 1,500 square foot home with three bedrooms: one for me, one for my sibling, and one for boxes and boxes of books. We were able to move out at the beginning of this year and one of my requirements for a new house was to have space for a library. We managed to find and purchase (with financing) a 3,200 square foot home that includes a huge master bedroom. My mind dinged “library” as soon as I saw it. The only problem with it is that it is a long empty room with three windows leaving no wall space for bookcases. I brought this problem to my handyman dad and he said, “no worries, I can build something.” So here we are drawing up plans for bookshelves floor to ceiling and even into the middle of the room like a real library. The materials haven’t been purchased yet and the work hasn’t started but I’ve been keeping a budget so that this phase of the library project can be kicked off soon.

Where are all those books in the meantime? Still in boxes, piled high for the cat to climb in the space that will someday fulfill my Jay Gatsby dream of having a library. For now, I can collect more and more. I can peck away at reading the ones I own—I’ve only read 526 out of all of them—and crafting my own ideas into full length novels. Someday when my library is finished, my own published books will grace the shelves as well.