Where to buy Bookshelves...

[nmjackson]

I'm considering homeschooling montessori for my kiddos, and over the summer plan on buying a few supplies and seeing how my first child does with it. However, I need to first set up the environment. And I'm having the most difficult time find solid wood bookshelves that will not break the bank. Am considering building them if I have to... But wanted to know what others purchased and from where... I need bookshelves anyway, but first plan to use them for our home montessori classroom.

Thanks!

[tbone_kneegrabber]

ikea

[caned & able]

B&N
Staples
Office depot

I have been told that hippies and college students used to use long 2x10s and bricks to build some inexpensive book shelves. The sold wood will not warp and bend under the weight of books as particle board will.

[lach]

ITA with Ikea.

[tommynomad]

IKEA makes lots of particle board shelving (I own plenty), but do they also make it out of solid wood?

In any case, the bloom is coming off fast. In 2009 a report showed less than 10% of their timber is ethically sourced, and there's ample evidence of racism (and even nazism) at company HQ.

That's enough for me to stop buying their stuff until I get a clearer picture. To the OP, I would say call a local (professional or even hobby) carpenter: you migh be surprised at how little it costs to have custom shelving made in a soft wood like pine.

[kittykat2481]

I don't know about solid wood, but I've gotten some great particle board shelves at Target.

This is what we have. I just turned it on its side so it's short and long. When DS gets older, we'll turn it back up again.

[jenfl]

I spent AGES looking for affordable, deep, wooden shelves. I couldn't find anything that I liked and that was large enough to hold the trays for materials. I ended up buying plastic garage shelving from Target which has worked great. It's cheap and I can use it stacked 2 high instead of 4 high so it's the right size for DD and I get twice as much.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by tbone_kneegrabber

ikea

Ivar

[ollyoxenfree]

I have the same concerns about IKEA.

Have you tried your local craigslist or freecycle, if you live somewhere with these options? I have picked up shelving at very low cost on craigslist - there's always someone downsizing who needs to get rid of excess shelving. My conscience doesn't wriggle quite so much if I buy second-hand IKEA. It's still particle-board though.

[caned & able]

Originally Posted by tommynomad

In any case, the bloom is coming off fast. In 2009 a report showed less than 10% of their timber is ethically sourced, and there's ample evidence of racism (and even nazism) at company HQ.

That has been known for a long time. The founder was/is a Nazi sympathizer.

I posted that years ago on these forums and no one thought it was worth considering.

I guess it is in vogue again.

From the wiki page about ikea:

IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was, as a teen, directly involved in the pro-Nazi New Swedish Movement (Nysvenska Rörelsen) until at least 1948, causing tensions when IKEA began opening stores in Israel.Kamprad devotes two chapters to his time in Nysvenska Rörelsen in his book, Leading By Design: The IKEA Story and, in a 1994 letter to IKEA employees, called his affiliation with the organization the "greatest mistake of his life."

[ollyoxenfree]

My concerns are more about the ecological impact of IKEA's business practices. In the past couple of years, I've become aware specifically of issues around harvesting timber in China and Russia.

What's interesting is that a google search about IKEA and sustainable practices turns up a bunch of favourable-looking company-sponsored reports. Which makes me wonder if the company has managed to influence what comes up on a search. I don't have time to dig for the information I read a while ago, but I'll see if I can find some information later.

[RiverTam]

I bought wood bookshelves at Target.

I wasn't thinking about environmental isssues when I did it, though.

[tinasquirrel]

If you are interested in building them yourself, you might check out Knock-off Wood's blog. It's awesome, and she makes all of her patterns very accessible for beginning woodworkers. I know there are several bookshelf designs in there.

http://www.knock-offwood.com/

Over on the right, she has a tag for bookshelves with 33 posts.