We may not need to define what a library is, but the same thing may not apply to art.

Our library, especially our home library, is often an important space in our lives. They are spaces many of us are willing to sacrifice time, energy and money into making meaningful, useful and gratifying.

In making this space one of the best spaces in our homes, we have written articles covering how to set it up, what a home library needs and even how to obtain funding, books and other library furniture.

But art is a beautiful thing and having artwork in our home library will not only make it a more pleasant, comforting place to stay, but it might also aid the mental reception of what we are studying.

But what is art? And how can art be associated with a library? Moreso, is there anything like library art?

Art is defined as the “conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.” ^[1]

Art is essentially anything deliberately created to attract our sense of beauty, even though such creation may have other functional purposes apart from being art – This is where art and library meets.

A home library space might be too small or not very compatible with featuring pieces that are specifically meant as art, since the library is essentially not an art gallery, but that does not mean utility objects in our library can’t be artistic.

But is there anything like library art, just like we have street art or religious art or American art? The answer is a probable no. There seems to be nothing like “Library Art” exactly, but art can be put into every functional object used in a library.

“Library art” in this article will be discussed from this viewpoint.

The Need for Word Over Visuals

Art is a very visual thing, and library art is even more so: objects that will have artistic impacts in a library are best enjoyed by sight (a library is not meant to be a noisy place, so auditory art will be discounted). So the best way to describe a library art is to show its picture.

However, that is only compulsory if library art, in the strictest sense, exists. Like we said earlier, what actually exists are objects (functional or non-functional) in the library; that are artistically made. There are numerous pictures of objects like this already available offline and online, but there is a severe shortage of words to name them and describe them to curious readers. Many are just rich pictures with no helpful description at all.

That is the gap this article hopes to fill. We are going to be naming and describing essential library objects that can qualify as “library art”.

Library Wall Art & Decor

Library wall art is an object that is part of, made of, laid on, or attached to a library wall for the purpose of beautifying it.

Library wall art can come in different forms. Some of them are:

 1. Wall Maps

• 

As useful as maps (and even charts) are as learning materials, some of them can be very beautifully made – Beautiful enough to be used to adorn the wall of the home library as an art.

This doesn’t diminish their usefulness in any way.

Beautiful wall maps, in real and abstract forms, can be purchased cheaply on Amazon.com

 2.          Canvas Wall Art

Canvas is a kind of fabric that is popularly used in painting. It is cheap to obtain and versatile in use.

When a canvas is used to make a painting, it is usually stretched and nailed to a rectangular frame, upon which it will be painted. This is the most well-known use for canvas.

But there are other uses for it too.

For example, patterns can be sewn on canvas with colored threads to make a design. This can be beautiful in its own right too, depending on the expertise of the artist.

A designed canvas stretched and nailed (or glued) on the library wall can really make the library come alive. Wall arts made on canvas are perfect library arts.

 3. Prints

These are arty posters, big or small. These can convey messages, quotes, instructions or infographics. What differentiates them from every other poster is that the message on them is meant to be timeless and relevant at all times, while being presented in an artistic manner.

 4.          Mirrors

Mirrors are far more useful than serving just as a looking glass. In fact, mirrors have been used as objects of decoration for hundreds of years. So, they qualify as art.

Mirrors come in all shapes and sizes, and some are particularly shaped to produce certain effects; like making the reflected image look elegant.

Mirrors can also be positioned to make a space look beautiful, and this is where it can play an important role in the library.

Mirror(s) hung on a library wall can produce an excellent artistic effect, especially if the glass is colored, gilded, or framed with beautiful frames.

 5.          Sculptures in relief

A library wall can be a perfect place to render a sculpture in relief. Relief sculpture or carvings are carvings made on surfaces like walls, floors or ceilings. They are a part of the surface rather than freestanding.

A subject for a home library relief sculpture, for example, can be quotes, sceneries or even an open book to depict the inherent function of the library!

Apart from carving relief sculptures out of the wall materials itself, relief can also be made from POP, cement, clay, metals, glass, or plastic, and hung up on the wall.

 6.          Masonry

Masonry is “the art and craft of building and fabricating in stone, clay, brick, or concrete block.^[2] usually in a building project.

Masonry is more than just building, it can be made into art. No wall can exist without some form of masonry holding it together, and this is why the stonework or brickwork constituting our library wall can be used as art.

The masonry of our library wall can be planned in advance (to be arranged artistically) even before the library is built. This can be by the use of different brick colors, brick sizes, shapes and textures in building our library wall.

If the library wall is already built and we wish to convert the existing masonry into art, we can do this by directly painting the stonework to our liking or using plaster and paints to give an aesthetic effect.

 7. Paintings

Paintings are in a world of their own. They are probably the best known visual art medium in the world. In fact, we can safely say painting is visual art, and visual art is painting.

Paintings can be made on almost any flat, rigid medium, including the popular canvas, wooden boards, and veneers.

The number of subjects a painting can cover is quite uncountable, the kind of painting that will be hung up on the library wall will be determined by the library owner. But surely, installing paintings in a home library is a winner any day!

We can probably say that painting is half of art!

 8. Wallpapers

Wallpapers are different from ordinary prints and posters because they rarely contain words, instead featuring pictures or intricate designs. They are also often usually made of fragile, larger paper. Unlike posters, they are meant to cover entire walls, while pasted in sections.

Wallpapers are decorative objects right from the start and they can turn the most innocuous looking wall into stunning art.

They are excellent art to spice up a boring looking library, especially a small one.

 9. Mural

Murals are paintings done directly on walls. This means instead of hanging a painting on the wall, the wall itself is painted on directly. Since they are often made to cover entire walls, murals are often large.

Ordinarily, murals are usually found outdoors – painted outside schools, shops and religious centers – but they are relevant indoor too if the subject is right. A home library is an excellent place to execute a mural if it won’t cause a distraction for the readers.

Mural is an acknowledged art worldwide. When done right, it never lives in a space without making it more beautiful – including any library.

10. Decorative Wall Lights (Accent lighting) 

There is a class of lighting called accent lighting. They are artificial lights that mostly serve decorative purposes. Accent lights are often placed to call attention to a particular point, for example, a piece of wall or window art.

Accent lights, by their nature, are often made to be attractive, even glamorous. They are an excellent wall art in their own right and can be used alone or in conjunction with any existing wall art.

However, when an accent light is used to accentuate any other wall art, then the effects are multiplied. Accent lights especially go well with paintings.

They are an excellent art accessory for any library.

Library Table (And Chairs) Art And Decor

Libraries are highly intertwined with tables and chairs and it is hard to imagine a library without both.

Tables and chairs can be made in any way we want them to be – pieces of wood simply joined together or a highly intricate work of art standing on four legs; it’s our choice.

However, for a library table, practicality should not be sacrificed for beauty. This means if our library table is going to be artistic, the table surface should still retain its flatness and levelness to facilitate convenient reading. The surface should also not be laid with garish distractive art.

There are several choices in making our library table (and chairs) into work of art.

 1. Antique Library Table and Chairs (Real or Imitation)

Real antiques, in the art world, are generally old objects that have artistic or historical merit and are still in good condition. They are often objects made from a past age when beauty is more important than practicality.

Having antique furnitures like chairs and tables will automatically add a touch of class to any library. They also confer a feeling of respectability and high taste to the library. Antique tables and chairs could be just what is needed to bring a dull, soulless-looking library to life!

 2. Tablecloth and Drapes

This needs no introduction. In fact, they won’t be needed in most libraries, but taste differs. Some library owners may choose to use tablecloths on their library tables because of the art they feature. They may choose to use drapes on their chairs too.

Ignore the world “cloth”, tablecloth can be made of a wide range of material, from the natural to the synthetic. Tablecloth can be woven from palm fibres and can be made with polymers. This diversity in raw material allows a variety of art forms to be represented on them.

Library Floor Art

Almost all kinds of floor art are in the form of floor covering. Floor coverings are almost always artistic. It has become the norm. So, for the library owner, it is a matter of selecting the kind of floor covering and the art it features, dictated by the owner’s needs and artistic taste.

Floor art can come in any of these various forms and more:

 1. Carpets          

We all know carpets. They are those floor covering made with upright fibers tightly packed together.

Carpets are always attractive anywhere they are used. Some are artworks in their own right. Their intricate designs and coloring is sure to spark up the home library too.

 2. Ceramic floor tiles

Ceramic floor tiles are durable artistic products. They can complement any well-decorated space. Their variety in color, texture, and the designs on them makes them a thoroughly artistic product.

Nice ceramic floor tiles can add a touch of durable verve to the library floor, while not hiding the artistic attraction too.

Library Shelf/Bookcase Art

Shelves or bookcases, whichever we wish to feature in our library shouldn’t be dry and boring.

There are many options in choosing shelves or bookcases that speak of art:

 1. Carved Shelves

Just as the name implies, they are shelves or bookcases (wooden) that have been carved with designs and patterns, usually intricate ones.

The designs are often carved in relief on the shelf or bookcase surface.

 2. Painted Bookcases

Ordinary bookcases can be turned into warm works of art by simply painting them artistically. This might mean getting the service of a professional artist to do the job.

Painting bookcases with meaningful subjects or beautiful patterns can turn them from an otherwise dull piece of library furniture into a stunning piece of library art!

 3.          Show-glass case

A potential great piece of library art is the show-glass case, if available in your library.

You may acquire a new or special book(s) that you wish to draw attention to its existence, this is when a show-glass becomes useful. If it is well made and adorned with designs, a show-glass can be an excellent piece of library art on its own.

4. Small art items and ornaments

If there are gaps on your library shelves/bookcases that haven’t been filled with books yet, you might consider putting small art items and other knickknacks in the gaps until you are able to fill them up with books.

You can also put this on tables or other open flat surfaces available.

They are a perfect way to showcase any small pieces of art you have while adding a touch of art to your home library.

How to Get Your Library Art

Procuring art for your library is as simple as getting art for any other room in the home. For extra uniqueness though, you may have to call in a professional artist to make the required artwork specifically for your library.

If we are to get our library art (and art in general) in the traditional way, then the good old auction houses, art shop/stores, and online stores still remain among the best place to procure new or second-hand artwork and art materials.

Garage sales also sometimes yield good art finds. Don’t forget to give it a try, especially if you are looking for artwork at neighborly prices.

For library owners who want more varieties, millions of artworks in any medium is available for sale in popular online stores like:

  –           Amazon

  –           E-bay

  –           Aliexpress

  –           Etsy (Dedicated mostly to art objects)

  –           Craigslist

Each of these online stores has its strengths compared to the other, and they fit all needs. For instance, you are most likely to find second-hand artworks on E-bay more than on any other listed.

Artwork has no minimum price. Price is usually determined by the reputation of the artist and if the artwork in question is uniquely made or mass-produced.

As far as finding excellent library artwork online is concerned, you are only a search term away.

Frequently Asked Questions on Library Art

What exactly are library arts?

There is nothing like library art exactly, but art can be in any functional object used in a library.
Except for objects that are exclusively for library use, like bookcases, most other art that can be used in our other rooms can equally be used in the library.

How can I get arts for my library?

You may have to call in a professional artist to make the required artwork specifically for your library.
If that will not be possible, then check auction houses, art shop/stores and online shops around you. They still remain among the best place to procure new or second-hand artwork and art materials.
Lastly, you can get artwork for your library from popular online stores like:
i. Amazon
ii. E-bay
iii. Aliexpress
iv. Etsy (Dedicated mostly to art and craft objects)
v. Craigslist

What is the benefit of having art in my library?

Having art in your library will not only make it a more pleasant, comforting place to stay, but its presence might also aid the mental reception of what you are studying.

References:

 1.          Dominant Group/Art – https://en.m.wikiversity.org/wiki/Dominant_group/Art (Retrieved 23-10-2019)

 2.          Masonry – https://www.britannica.com/technology/masonry (Retrieved 23-10-2019)