Snooping on culture

What surprised me visiting people in the States was that they did not have any books on display in living rooms or anyplace else. Wondered - was it a use and dispose books culture?  Then  noticed the coffee table book style. Was it the people I was in contact with? When I  searched for a room share on the Harvard campus noticed the exhibition of LP covers piles.  Audio culture?
 Later I built my entire library from books sold for a buck at St Agnes NYPL branch fairs.
They all make a library of books that I would love to have read. ...
As to titles of songs on my iPod? These are the tangos I would have danced.
and of course  If I only had time