Barrister Bookcases
Great for Oversized or Heavy Books

An excellent solution for displaying heavy or oversized books while protecting them at the same time.

Barrister bookcases are sturdy, functional bookcases specially designed to protect heavier books. They were originally designed for those big, heavy legal tomes with which lawyers impress their clients, but they're a perfect solution for any collection of oversized books.

What makes them special is that each shelf is protected by a set of glass doors set in a wooden frame. When you want to take a book out, you just flip the glass doors up and out of the way. The door retracts into the top of the shelf. These bookcases are perfect for protecting your books from dust and damage while allowing you to see the book titles easily.

What To Look For

Firstly, look for a sturdy, well-built unit. Since you'll be placing heavy books on them, it's worth investing in a strong unit that will bear the brunt of the weight. Poor quality, relatively inexpensive bookcases are available, but you risk banana shaped shelves after a few years. We also recommend that you check and compare warranties – a good warranty is usually a sign that the manufacturer stands by their product.

Some models are available with individual door locks, so if you want to keep prying fingers from touching valuable collectors' items, look for a unit with a security system in place.

Typically, barrister bookcases are available with three, four or five shelves. If you don't have that many books to display yet, you can consider buying a stackable unit which will allow you to save space and money now, and then add on more units as your shelving needs grow.

Finding Barrister Bookcases Online

We've found some beautiful example available online. There's a hardwood 3-tier model available in oak, birch or walnut wood. They are modular so you can buy only what you need now, and add on later. You can stack these shelves up to 8 feet high!

If you know that you won't need to stack another shelf on top, you might find this 4-tier-barrister bookcase which is guaranteed for 5 years, comes in birch or oak finishes, and is sectional, so you can buy exactly as much as you need.

Looking for something "a little more?" We found this multi-function unit, with 1 standard barrister shelf, one wine rack and 2 drawers at the top. It adds a touch of class. Take a look!

The above units are great and nicely compact. They will fit into corners of rooms and not take up too much space. However, if you are interested in a larger, more central piece of furniture, that stores a lot as well, take a look at this tall 4-shelf unit with enclosed bottom drawer.

Since the doors can partly block your view of what's inside, barrister bookcases aren't necessarily the best solution for displaying smaller books, paperbacks, collections or curios. You might be better off leaving these items on open bookshelves or display shelves in order to truly appreciate them.

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