Crates of vinyl, an overbrimming welter of books, and a rat’s nest of cables and cords emanating from receivers, TVs, iPod docks, and perhaps the odd Victrola are the hallmarks of the media-obsessed collector. Perhaps it’s the World Book Encyclopedias from 1973 or the complete Magnum, P.I. DVD box set—either way our desire to amass and display far more media than we’ll likely consume is as rampant as ever. And though the oldsters are more likely to play their Gordon Lightfoot on the one-twos than the digital one-zeros, every generation faces the age-old question: How do I store my library?

Whether you’ve gone strictly digital, with nothing more than a ThinkPad and an MP3 player, or you still cling to your Betamax cassettes, we’ve got a media storage option for you. From understated and efficient to wall-spanning installations that send as loud a message as your back issues of Ranger Rick, this selection is bound to satisfy any size annal and any size pocketbook. We asked archivist and filmmaker Rick Prelinger, founder of the Prelinger Library and Prelinger Archives, to help us through.

USM Haller by Paul Schärer and Fritz Haller

Expert Opinion: You’re certainly buying something substantial here. It weighs a ton, though if you have the money it’s lovely. I don't see this one going out of style and it’s quite easy to integrate into what you already have in your house. But at some point you have to decide if you want to put your funds into your collection or the way you store it.

What We Think: The USM Haller is the clear classic of the modular bunch, a design that has stood the test of time and earned a spot in the modernist canon. We like the Credenza model (three rectangular boxes in a row, each with a door), though its endlessly reconfigurable form, a feature of the spherical-connector-and-chromed-steel-rod system, makes it easy to expand or contract. The USM is pricey, heavy, and will surely outlive you.

Ivar combination storage for IKEA

Expert Opinion: I think of this as a skeleton that can be fleshed out in a number of different ways. The untreated wood is a good, honest material, and considering that certain IKEA veneers don't age very well, I’ll take the untreated stuff. You have loads of options and components here, so I’d say that if you are quite conscious and intentional in designing your environment you could do it with Ivar.

What We Think: Ivar is the stalwart of IKEA storage, a bastion of modular efficiency in a sea of blond wood. Its two different shelf depths (16.75" and 19.6"), metal cross-bar bracing, and breathtaking array of add-ons—CD holders, doors, boxes, cabinets, chests, even a shoe rack—make it by far the most customizable system we’ve seen. Drawback include the fact that you’ll look like you live in a mud room, but at this price, and with so many options available, Ivar’s not so terrible.

Domino by TemaHome

Expert Opinion: This is fun! It’s like Tetris. The Domino is a better option for those who live closer to the floor and is a bit more entry level than others we’ve seen. I also like that when you put a couple together you get some unexpected remnant spaces. Those are always nice to discover, and are a way to get much more out of what you’ve got. I also like that it needn’t be a perfect square. Angle it out a bit, make it oblique, strike a blow against Teutonic industrialism. Craft with a “C” not a “K.”

What We Think: Domino comes in on the low end of the price spectrum and functions quite well on its own as a TV stand and small shelving solution. Add a couple more L-shaped units, either all at once or bit by bit, and the geometric possibilities are endless. And at 67 pounds, installation of this sturdy guy is a breeze.

Balance Console by Terence

Expert Opinion: This is great—another entry-level investment and perfect for the digital-music house-hold. If your media scene is a laptop and an iPod dock, this imperfect for you. It feels much less locked in that other shelving systems and really makes you think about what you want to display. I love there there is a coffee table and bookshelf in the same series and could easily see those in the living room along with the console.

What We Think: This is one of the smaller options, and it looks like a sturdy choice for the more diminutive environs of apartment living. It’s best suited to smaller collections—its cubbies are a good fit for LPs, book, CDs, and DVDs—but it can surely handle your TV and stereo. We agree with Prelinger that adding the Balance coffee table or bookshelf to your living room can give the space some cohesion without breaking the bank.