To have a space be considered a library, there is no strict or universally agreed-upon number of books required. However, popular opinions and some expert sources provide guidelines:
- The American Library Association (ALA) suggests a library typically has at least 5,000 books, but this is more a large public or professional library benchmark.
- Many people consider 1,000 books enough to call a collection a library.
- A smaller collection of around 500 books can give the feeling of a library.
- Some experts say even 25 carefully selected books can qualify as a library, though this is less common.
- Personal or private libraries may have only hundreds of books and still be called libraries.
In summary, for a personal or small library, 500 to 1,000 books is often cited as a good number to start calling it a library, but the definition is flexible and subjective to the collection's curation and purpose.
