书架，又称书柜，是家具的一种。书架由一些可以放置东西的架子组成，一般为垂直或水平的，可以用来保存书籍。而书柜则是指配有门的书架。

书架的故事与意义是与书籍的发展相辅相成。每一个时期书架呈现的风貌，都是跟着当时书籍的外表型态而更改。也就是说，书架的意义与用途是被书所赋予。若要认识书架的形貌，就必须连书的演变一起认识。

古代最早的书的形式是希腊罗马人所书写的卷轴或纸卷。卷轴一般而言，尺寸是上下宽度约在9~11呎（23~28公分）不等，长度则可能超过20~30英呎（6~9公尺）。卷轴的原料是纸草纸，而卷轴的末端附带有一根棍子与棒条。平时阅读的时候，是平摊在桌上；阅毕时，则会用绳子或是带子系好。贵重的卷轴甚至还会装在套子里以免毁坏。储藏书的工具的这种概念出现。此种套子有如类似现今收藏精装书附带的硬纸版套盒。形状多是圆桶状盒子，直立的卷轴会在末端附有签条或登记单，标明内容提示、作者名氏等必要信息。

A bookcase, or bookshelf, is a piece of furniture, almost always with horizontal shelves, used to store books. Bookcases are used in private homes, public and university libraries, offices and bookstores. A bookcase may be fitted with glass doors. A bookcase consists of a unit including two or more shelves which may not all be used to contain books or other printed materials. Bookcases range from small, low models the height of a table to high models reaching up to ceiling height. Shelves may be fixed or adjustable to different positions in the case. In rooms entirely devoted to the storage of books they may be permanently fixed to the walls and/or floor. Bookcases may have doors that can be closed to protect the books from air pollution, and bookshelves are open-fronted. These doors are almost always glazed, so as to allow the spines of the books to be read. Especially valuable books may be kept in locked cases with wooden or glazed doors. A bookshelf normally stands on some other piece of furniture such as a desk or chest. Larger books are more likely to be kept in horizontal piles and very large books flat on wide shelves.