Surprisingly, the statement about books is very accurate! I remember the USSR and the words of insult in it. I can even name them. They won't seem rude to you. Insulted by the words: a business man and a merchant ...
Hoarding money was considered a vice. I did not condemn the law for this. Condemned by society. However, people... When money and material goods ceased to be the main value, the concept of a good home appeared. A fuller library might have been envious.
Still valued publications, when one publisher. If the collection of books by Strugatsky, publishing house "Young Guard". Such a collection was not appreciated only by the publishing house "Kiev". The publishing house of Bulgakov's books, was valued by the publishing house "Kiev" and was not valued by the "Young Guard". Mikhail Afanasyevich was originally from the city of Kiev. Therefore, it was appreciated to collect the complete works of this particular publishing house. The Strugatskys wrote fiction that is more interesting to young people. Therefore, the Young Guard Publishing house.
I also had to be able to arrange the books on the shelves. So that the spines of the books in your personal library match in color. Perhaps you will find this system of values strange. Sometimes, as a child, he disappeared from friends. If the parents did not allow you to give books from your personal library to someone at home. So I read a book at a friend's house. There was a special attitude to the book.
In the USSR, housing was provided to young families. The number of rooms depended on the number of family members. At the same time, if you have a large library... They were given housing, taking into account rooms for books.