Last week The Economist speculated that the new 15-inch edition of the IKEA Billy bookcase illustrated how bookshelves are used for everything “except books that are actually read” in an eBook world.
The report sparked alarmed stories in a number of outlets, including The Consumerist, The Wall Street Journal and Time. In an interview with Edward Champion, an IKEA spokesperson dispelled these rumors of the demise of bookshelves.
Here’s an excerpt: “The Billy bookcase with the 11 inch depth will still be stocked. Production will not be curtailed. An additional Billy bookcase, with a 15 inch depth, will be introduced in all countries — an effort to respond to how customers are presently living their lives … As it turns out, not only had the 15 inch bookcase been in development for a period of eighteen months to two years. Ebooks didn’t factor at all into the decision.”