Sauder Harbor View Library Bookcase - 27.21" Wide x 17.48" Deep x 72.24" Tall - Antiqued White Finish - Perfect for Living Room, Home Office or Study Room Organization

I bought this to coordinate with a French writing desk I inherited. I'm very happy with the bookcase. To gauge my skills, I'm fairly handy but not a pro. All told, it probably took me, without assistance, 3 hours over a day or two to complete assembly, including the extra steps I took, described below. I used a variable speed drill with phillips attachment for most of the project (but kept my drill speed on the low side), and sometimes a manual #2 phillips. My advice: take your time and read the instructions through beforehand so you know what to expect. Take breaks if (when) frustrated. You can do this!The long side facings on my unit were broken when I unpacked the box. I suggest going through the hardware bag to ensure you have all the hardware you need before contacting Sauder. The instruction booklet tells you how many pieces of each type of hardware you should have. I was missing a few pieces of hardware and was able to have those shipped with the new side facings.While assembling, I found it difficult to get underneath the unit to attach the screws to the side facings while keeping the facings in place. You are really working "upside down" and attaching pieces from below, and it's very difficult to see what you're doing. My solution was to first glue the side facings onto the front of the bookcase (a 1/8" bead of carpenter's glue on each surface is all you need); spread the glue around and apply the facing. MAKE SURE you place these facings the correct way as shown in the instructions, so the scored line on the back of the facing runs through the screw holes on the brown plastic connectors. You can use a mirror to check this. No need to clamp but you will need to wait several hours for glue drying. Then you can attach the screws after you flip the bookcase over, and the side facings will stay in place. This extra step takes time, but improves accuracy and makes that part of the task much easier. Also, if you are using this approach, you can minimally attach the front top arch with the screws first, and finish attaching the arch when you flip the bookcase.Make sure you have enough working room to complete assembly of the bookcase, because you must flip the bookcase over in mid-assembly.When attaching the back, I advise to ensure each nail hole on the front (finished) side is punched through to the back prior to attachment. On mine, some small nail holes did not go through to the back so I had to remove the back and repunch the holes. The back is dark brown and it's difficult to see the holes if they are not punched through.If you can avoid it, don't punch through the "handholds" on the back unless you really need them. I was able to pick up the bookcase myself without using the handholds but had already punched one partially out. I can't imagine why the handholds are there--the backing is very thin and I could feel the small brad nails that hold the back to the bookcase coming loose when I attempted to use the handhold. If anything the handhold might be used for leverage, but I advise not to place any pressure on the handhold.When attaching the feet, I initially had problems turning the foot screw into the foot. I then used a pliers to hold the screw stable while turning the screw onto the foot. That worked much better. You just need to get it started straight; then when you screw the foot into the bottom of the unit, your leverage will do the rest.Don't forget: there's no scratch protection on the bottom of the unit. If you are assembling this unit to be placed on a wood floor, be sure to place felt furniture pads on the bottoms of the feet and the back. You can buy these self stick pads at any home improvement store. Each foot takes a 1 ½" round felt pad, and the back takes a 3" x ¾" rectangle.I have a lot of books, and it's not difficult to reach the suggested weight limits of 25 to 40 lbs. with big art books. I weighed the stacks of books on the bathroom scale before placing them, so as not to exceed the weight limits.The completed bookcase is very functional and looks a lot more expensive than it is. (Well, that probably depends upon how you value your time and frustration.) For me, it was worth it. I might order another one!1/3/2014I did buy another unit and can't believe it, but nothing in the box was damaged and all hardware was included. Such a pleasant surprise--I was telling myself that I would have to wait to assemble it, but the parts were all intact!