A new trend for sharing photographs of one’s book collection has taken social media by storm.

Dubbed the ‘shelfie’, Instagram and Twitter users have been busy capturing their favorite titles from the 'Complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud' to the 'Complete Works of William Shakespeare.' 

Those who are not avid readers have taken the craze to other areas of their home, choosing to photograph artfully-arranged shelving units in the kitchen, bedroom, living room or bathroom.

And British children's author and illustrator, Colin West, added a shot to his Twitter account, @mooseandmouse, captioned: 'Shelfie: 40 years of obsessive poetry book collecting.'

Hilary Robertson, 50, a New York-based interior stylist and active Instagrammer, explains in her upcoming book The Stuff of Life why arranging and capturing objects in an artsy way can be so addictive.

'Creating something beautiful is compelling . . . It's meditation of sorts,' she writes.

'Even if nothing else in your room pleases you, you can transform one surface to your own satisfaction.'

While some have gone about arranging their books in a 'magazine-worthy' way, others have not taken such an artful approach, leaving shelves stacks and novels toppled over.

Libraries, bookstores and publishing houses have also got in on the 'shelfie' act, uploading snapshots of their interiors.

Penguin Books posted an image of British author Nina Stibbe's book collection at home, along with the caption: '#shelfie to kick off the week. Have a peek at what @ninastibbe has on her shelve.'

The Wall Street Journal has defined 'shelfie' as 'a photo of one's possessions arrayed on a surface, such as a shelf.'