We have about 70 linear metres of bookshelf space in our house. (That’s right, I just measured.)
6.3 m for photos, 14 m for the kids’ books, 3.6 m for parenting books, 7 m for my husband’s books on cartography, polar exploration and history, and 39.05 m for fiction and literary criticism, mostly mine,
and I still have imperialist aims on their space and more….
“Empty Bookshelves.” (Library for the Faculty of Philology at the Free University Berlin, Germany. Architect: Norman Foster.) Photo by svenwerk.
Nathalie Foy 
It is very funny to me that you measured your bookshelves. I have never thought of doing that–it’s like counting books. I am curious to know the exact number, but it makes me sad to see how finite they all are.
I did measure! We are thinking of having bookshelves built, so I wanted to know exactly how much we had and how much more we need. I have to say, I’m never faced with sadness about how finite my collection is, only with the amount of time in which to read from it…..