The name conjures up images of row upon row of dusty leather-bound books in some darkened corner of a stately home . But these days , it seems , you ’ re just as likely to find a ‘ library ’ in a three-bedroom suburban house . The quiet allure of a room filled with books , a cosy chair in the corner and a lamp or two has become a new status symbol , estate agents say . Status symbol : Many home owners are turning under-used rooms into quiet refuges from the modern world . And getting your own library isn ’ t too difficult . Many homeowners are simply redecorating their under-used dining rooms , which have become redundant as more families use a combined kitchen-diner for meals . Estate agents say a library is ‘ aspirational ’ and regarded as a retro retreat from the rest of our increasingly hi-tech homes . One in ten said there had been a rise in the number of homes being advertised with a library , the National Association of Estate Agents found . Yesterday , Mark Hayward , of the NAEA , said : ‘ Having a library in your home can add a unique advantage when it comes to selling your property . It is a differentiator – a room by its very title that conveys peace , quiet and serenity that ’ s growing in popularity . ‘ At the top-end property market , it adds a quintessential English touch , popular amongst overseas investors. ’ It follows a trend for ‘ shelfies ’ – photographs of one ’ s bookshelves – which have become popular on social media websites . More than 160,000 images have been posted on the website Instagram using the hashtag ‘ shelfie ’ , with thousands more on Twitter . Mr Hayward said many upmarket new-build homes now included library rooms as standard , while sellers were converting their spare rooms . He said : ‘ The popularity of the kitchen-diner means many dining rooms are now dead space . Filling it with books and calling it a library elevates it again . ‘ The books you put on the shelves are intended to reflect a lifestyle . It is filled with the books you want people to think you are reading. ’ The name may evoke images of leather bound books and mahogany but libraries are increasingly common .
Libraries , a quiet retreat from gadgets , found increasingly in homes . Estate agents say rooms are aspirational and quintessentially English . Dining rooms are being traded in for the book-filled sanctuaries . The new generation of young people who grew up with smartphones have been drawn to their own devices as much as they were to books or music - but not always at the same time.