I bought this for my granddaughter's nursery.  They needed a good spot to place their video baby monitor so that it would look down into the the crib.  The small top shelf is perfect for that purpose.  The other shelves provide space for special items such as stuffed animals and other little gifts.  Not so sure that I would use this as a bookshelf myself, but to each his own!  It was easy to assemble and matches the espresso nursery furniture beautifully.