I have a lot of books.  And, as those who know me will happily tell you, I like finding more.  There are few things that make me quite as happy as finding good deals on books at used book stores, and even if I know that I'm probably never going to read a book again, I have a very hard time letting go of it.

That was why I was quite surprised (and a bit horrified) when I got a link from Kat Howard this week entitled, "It may actually be possible to have too many books."

Following the link and finding the work of Alicia Martín, specifically her project entitled Biografias, made me think that perhaps it is time to reconsider.  Here is a video of one of the three installations that is part of this project:


Here are some more still photographs of the installation, along with more details about the project.  I love the idea of this project, and the video is particularly amazing in the way that the pages of the books flap in the wind.  I can't help but wonder what happens when it rains, though.

In addition to its uniqueness, I think what I like most about this project is what it suggests--that there is no way that we can contain all the knowledge, ideas, and unexplored worlds that are contained within books.  While it's a rather overwhelming thought--hence the books flowing out of buildings--it's also a tremendously inspiring one, full of possibility and excitement.

I think I'm back to where I started, with a slogan that I have boldly emblazoned on a coffee mug: You can never have too many books.