Before Bookcases

• Before the printing press, books were stored in boxes.Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  Until the invention of the printing press, books were handwritten, often on parchment and scrolls. They were prized and kept under lock and key in boxes. As wealthy folk and churches accumulated more manuscripts, they stored them in cupboards and on open shelves. These shelves and cupboards were the forerunner of the traditional bookcase.
  
  

The First Bookcases

• The circular Bodleian Library, Oxford, England.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The bookcase, as furniture in its own right, did not make an appearance until the last few years of the 16th century, when shelves were installed in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University in England. Often bookshelves were placed on top of another piece of furniture such as a cupboard, chest or desk, giving the appearance of a dresser.
  
  

Changing Fashions

• Although oak was a strong and durable wood, it went out of fashion for a time in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Furniture designers of the era, such as Sheraton, Hepplewhite and Chippendale preferred walnut, rosewood, satinwood and mahogany to oak, which they viewed as heavy and fit only for the lower classes.
  
  

The Stacking Bookcase

• In 1892, furniture designer Henry C. Yeiser of Cincinnati, Ohio, patented a stackable bookcase. His company, the Globe Wernicke Co., exported designs to Britain and then to the rest of Europe. These bookcases are very collectible and are commonly known as Globe-Wernicke bookcases. They are made from various woods, but plain oak and quartered oak were used in all of the company's designs.
  
  

Contemporary Bookcases

• A sturdy modern bookcase.Pixland/Pixland/Getty Images
  
  Today the oak bookcase is even more common. A quality oak bookcase will have a tongue-and-groove back and dovetail or mortise and tenon joints. Oak bookcases have an attractive grain and can be stained light or dark. Oak is slow growing and less likely to warp or twist than other types of wood. This means that your bookcase will last a lifetime and become an heirloom.
  
  

Tips

• Keep oak bookcases out of direct light to protect both the wood and the books. Dust regularly, inside and out. Consider waxing the exterior for a long-lasting finish.