#MiniatureMonday
Medieval Chained Library
Before the printing press really took off and made books relatively cheap and available in Europe, books were sometimes connected to the shelves with chains that were long enough to allow the book to be taken down and read, but still prevent theft. This practice died out in the late 1800′s, but a few libraries of this type still exist that can be visited, as you can see in this list of surviving chained libraries.
This mini ‘alchemical’ chained library and shelf is much newer but still just as amazing. Created around 2012 in California by a printer and binder named Pat Sweet, the holder is made of wood and metal, while the (blank) books are stitched, with little metal embellishments on the covers. The chains are also real metal, and do keep the books attached to the shelf, although how much theft protection this would provide is uncertain, as the whole collection, bookcase and all would likely fit in a large pocket!
--Diane R.