Library Shelfie Day

The heroine of I. Muravyova in the film “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears” was looking for a groom in the reading room of the Lenin Library. Provincial Lyudmila believed that in the smoking room of the establishment there was a high chance of meeting a serious and intelligent man who would become her other half. Shelves with books attract not only bibliophiles, but also people who want to emphasize their intellectual level and erudition. On the fourth Wednesday of January, a fun holiday is celebrated - Shelfie Day in the Library. In honor of this, readers from all over the world take photos against the backdrop of bookshelves and publish them on social networks. The name of the Library Shelfie Day holiday is based on a play on words. Instead of the usual definition of selfie, the employees of the New York Public Library, who came up with the idea of ​​celebrating the special day, used shelf (translated from English as “shelf”). More than 50.6 million ancient tomes and modern editions of scientific and fiction literature are stored on the shelves of this book depository. Shelfie Day at the Library is designed to draw attention to books and the process of reading. The initiator of a similar action in 2015 was the Englishwoman Mar Dixon, who has a website about culture and art. With her light hand, every third Wednesday of January is celebrated as Museum Selfie Day. In honor of the holiday, visitors to galleries and exhibitions take pictures against the backdrop of sculptures, paintings and other exhibits, posting pictures on social networks. Below the image is the name of the museum and the exhibition that is included in the photo. The main trend of Library Shelfie Day is to take a photo with a shelf of your favorite books in a public and private library. The publications captured in the background of the selfie reflect your interests and intellectual needs. The books in the photo help you feel more significant and smarter, and arouse increased interest among people around you. Therefore, the action held on January 26 is popular. On this day, on average, more than 2 million photos are published on networks under the hashtag #shelfie. In honor of the holiday, libraries in many cities around the world open their doors. In the Soviet Union, books were in every home. They were obtained through connections, bought in second-hand bookstores, exchanged, or received through coupons for returning waste paper. A large library with rare and scarce publications was the pride of the family. In its absence, the interior always had a closet or shelves with books. They said that the house was inhabited by intelligent and inquisitive people with high spiritual needs. Soviet citizens, for whom the colored spines of books served only a decorative function, purchased wall wallpaper that imitated bookshelves. They depicted volumes of poetry and prose. This technique was actively used in English interiors of the era of Queen Victoria. Books on wallpaper create a cozy and relaxing atmosphere in the room. Therefore, this decorative element is also used in modern interiors. Anyone who is too lazy to go to the library in honor of Library Shelfie Day can always take a photo against the backdrop of wallpaper with bookshelves. A closet with your own books is also suitable for the background of a selfie. But real Shelfie Day fans celebrate the holiday in the library according to established tradition - they take pictures against the backdrop of real shelves with their favorite books and post them on the Internet.