‘Library of Books’ dioramas — The best way to add flair to your bookshelf

Looking for a new cozy pastime over these cold winter months? Have you considered a Library of Books kit? This diorama building kit is the perfect way to spend a weekend. And the final product fits perfectly on your bookshelf nestled between your novels.

You may have seen these kits in stores over the past few years. I’ve certainly marvelled at the display models. The quaint and whimsical scenes in beautifully detailed miniature drew me in. Flat interlocking wooden pieces, detailed surfaces and internal lights, all coming together to create a beautiful diorama.

Book nook is the popular term for dioramas shaped like a book and intended for display on bookshelves. They’re often open only in the front and depict scenes like alleyways or building interiors. These dioramas have developed quite the dedicated following over the years. They come in kits with hundreds of tiny pieces to assemble. Assembling the kit is akin to building a detailed lego set in many ways, but also includes some straightforward but tedious cutting and gluing.

The Library of Books is absolutely worth the cost and is a great beginner kit. It delivers surprising quality for its price point. I’ve sometimes seen book nooks available in puzzle and boardgame stores, but they’re also available online from various retailers if you want to compare prices. I have found the Library of Books listed for prices as low as $35 up to $100, with most around $75.

Be warned, this isn’t a quick half hour build, putting the Library of Books together can take 15 to 20 hours. This do-it-yourself book nook is for someone who enjoys the process of putting things together. If you’re tempted to buy it only for the final look, I recommend against it. If you’re interested in a simpler to build but still beautiful display, this old style TV model could be more to your liking.

The kit comes with a large page of printed graphics for you to glue onto pieces. The images are well printed and the paper is slightly thicker than printer paper. If the fancy takes you, you could print your own mini book covers for the numerous books in the model to customize the library to your tastes.

If you’re looking to dive right in, note the package doesn’t come with everything you’ll need. The instructions advise that 1.5V AA alkaline batteries, and silicone glue are needed for building but not included due to shipping restrictions. You’ll also need scissors for the paper and a knife or box cutter, as the precut pieces don’t always pop out smoothly.

The nook is manufactured in China and although the packaging and instructions are in English, they are somewhat poorly translated. The front of the box reads “Books to cultivatel their sentiments [sic]”, typo and all. The questionable translation didn’t make it any harder for me to assemble the kit because the instructions lay out every step clearly with detailed images, using only short labels or notes.

The kit has some minor variations, unfortunately it is difficult to tell which you are getting online. My Library of Books kit is the standard one, also known as option “A”. The slightly upgraded models, “B’ and “C” includes a music box. The standard kit still includes a space to attach a music box and the instructions show you when to attach it if you have one. The instructions state a music box can be purchased separately however I have been unable to find any listings for a separate music box.

Various book nook sellers offer even more models to choose from. A list of prominent sellers and potential discount codes can be found here.

If you love the Library of Books and are looking for more kits, I recommend the Magical Journey Train Cabin or the Snow World Musical Box. Happy building.