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When Do You Decide To Get Rid Of A Book & What Do You Do With It? (6/16/19)
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Marc
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Jun 16, 2019 06:27PM
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I've tried donating mine to local libraries or school libraries (unless it has too much wear or it has been written in or hightlighted in). Although, I still have many many books that I need to do something with so I'm interested in some of the answers. Too many books, not enough space.
I set up a lending library at work (doctor’s office). It works on an honor’s system. Take what you like and if you want to donate any, please do. It helps me clear out the boxes of books I have already read. Plus, we have got some interesting donations that I have “borrowed”.
There are no longer many books I need to make this decision about, because I've got rid of about 95% of the paper books I owned 5-6 years ago, but in general:- If sold, will it at least break even after cost of postage? If so, sell it.
However some books are highly specialised and don't sell even after 2-3 years and regularly keeping up with prices, though they would in theory get a good price. These get donated to university libraries, other specialist libraries or sent to charity bookshops in academic towns like Oxford or Cambridge where there's the highest chance of someone who'd use them seeing them when browsing.
-Widely available books that sell for 1p plus postage - if possible donate to a free books project, as most charity shops will just send them straight for pulping or to the likes of World of Mould. (i.e. World of Books - the UK's biggest Amazon bulk seller; most stuff I've ordered from them smells of mould as they evidently store it in poor conditions; I'm allergic to it and it's like having a bad cold while I'm reading the book and for hours afterwards, so no longer order from such places.)
Quite a lot of my lower-value books went on the now-defunct site Green Metropolis as there were quite a lot of things it was worthwhile to sell on there but not on Amazon and eBay. Unsurprisingly they couldn't afford to keep running.
It would be a significant incentive to reuse and recycling of all sorts of second hand goods in the UK if postage prices for private individuals sending parcels could be lowered again.
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The state of the UK second-hand book market is such that I see stacks of common books much like packaging - things that are likely to be used once, or if lucky, twice and then thrown away. But unlike with packaging, a lot of people don't realise it because they are rarely the ones binning the books themselves - it's high-street charity shops and bulk resellers doing it.Like newspapers and magazines, just kept in some cases for a few years rather than days or weeks.
Last year I moved and donated a ton of books, so that made things easier. Every three months I go through a purge. My rule is if I liked it then I'll keep it.
The unwanted books go to my partner's summerhouse. There's a ton of room so no worries.
I occasionally cull unread books and, along with read books I do not keep, do the following with them --1. Sell to local independent book store for credit I can spend for more books
2. Try selling in the annual community yard sale
3. Donate to local library's book sale
4. Give to friends and family if fits their likes
I keep many unread books for a very long time because I adore the feeling of having a lot of unread books in the house to choose from. The number I keep is dictated by shelf space. I get rid of books when I buy more, so my shelves are always full. The books I give away are almost always books I've read that aren't 'keepers,' and I give them to my local library for them to sell. It's really hard for me to give away a book I haven't read.
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Now the books I've owned for years (some of them decades) that I have yet to read... I've been trying to get myself to get rid of 5 or 6 of these per year with varied rates of success. My number of owned-but-unread books has stayed largely the same for the last 5 to 8 years because I tend to take in as many new ones as I read. It's like running in place. Sometimes I can't even remember why it is I wanted to read a certain book in the first place.
Marc wrote: "Now the books I've owned for years (some of them decades) that I have yet to read... ."I'm so glad I got rid of these. Sometimes I see them on GR and think "urgh, stale" and it's good to be free of the feeling I had to read them. (For a few years I even felt I should try to read every book I'd ever owned, but I've junked that idea now.) A lot of these were ephemeral novels that aren't talked about much any more, or non-fiction that's been superseded, and I'd rather spend the time on a classic, or something new that is talked about, or something, at any rate, that I expect to enjoy.
There are a few of those books I still want to read, but when I do start to read them the prospect is more exciting because they have not been glaring at me from the wall continually like a giant to-do list.
I am no longer a fan of buying books I don't expect to read in the very near future, nor of accumulating a lot of unread books.
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Yes, yes, yes! This was, still partially is, my mindset, but I'm getting over it slowly. Also been trying to read what I acquire in the short-term or not pick it up if I'm not going to read it. Usually, it's the secondhand or free books that get out of hand. I will occasionally take in a book because I know there's a greater chance I'll get to it sooner if I already have a copy in hand... Sometimes that's true. Mostly, not so much.
Antonomasia wrote: "I am no longer a fan of buying books I don't expect to read in the very near future, nor of accumulating a lot of unread books."I completely agree. Now when I purchase books, I read them first before putting them up on my shelves.
This has, however, made it difficult for me to get through my books I've owned for years and haven't read. I'm going to pull out some of those and get rid of them--ones I got for free that realistically I'm just not interested in. Time to just let them go, I figure.
I often get rid of books after I've read them but I too have a hard time getting rid of a book if it's one I've purchased.
I'm fortunate to have access to a terrific public library system that I use frequently, so it's hard to justify buying a book when I know I can just borrow it easily. Right now we have some important spending priorities so any way I can save a little money is useful.
I have a general rule I try to stick to - if I buy more books than I can fit on my bookshelves, I have to get rid of some. Granted, what fits is a loose definition. (stacked on the floor by the bookshelf sometimes...)I'm on a first name basis with my local used bookstore, so I have no qualms about letting go of books that I've read. I have a harder time letting go of books I haven't read that have been on the shelf for more than a year or so. And an even harder time letting go of favorites, even though I feel like I should since I should share those with the world.
I have a really difficult time giving away books. Years ago I got into the habit of writing my name, the city I was currently living in, and the date on each book I purchased. So now I can pull out a book from my bookshelves and see when and where I purchased it. Some of them were purchased over three decades ago. And they still look great and smell delicious :)After I retired, I went through a purge and donated a whole bunch of books to make room on the bookshelves. But most giveaways were my husband's books. I piled them up and went through them one at a time with him to see which ones he wanted to keep. Thankfully, he was willing to give most of them away.
Nowadays, I seldom buy books because I've become a regular patron of our local library. That's a good thing because I've just about run out of room on all my bookshelves--again!
Karin wrote: "Antonomasia wrote: "I am no longer a fan of buying books I don't expect to read in the very near future, nor of accumulating a lot of unread books."I completely agree. Now when I purchase books, ..."
I completely agree too. I've recently made the "don't buy until ready to start" rule too, but I still have some books on my shelves that I want to read but haven't yet found the time/energy or mood to do so. I hate getting rid of a book unread, but I've been weeding my shelves for the last year or so to get rid of anything that seems highly unlikely to be read. (I do check the library first, and if they have a copy, then I feel far less attached.)
I get rid of any books that I don't quite like, and depending on what types of books they are, they go various places. Most fiction and social science goes to one of the books for prisoners programs in the US. They need books, but they are picky about the shape and content, so...
if it doesn't go there, then in my city, we have a place that offers free books - take as many as you want, and they also will take as many as I can donate, so that's where mine go (b/c my local library just sells them on the internet and honestly they seem very disinterested in books rather than money.)
Finally, I have a lot of textbooks and other academic/work-related books that I have the hardest time getting rid of. I'm happy to get rid of them, but they're costly, and I'd like to see them used by someone. Unfortunately they also go "out of date" b/c of updates etc and while I must read them in a timely manner, they never pay for themselves. Some of them don't come in e-formats, and they're the hardest to find homes for.
I'm also in the midst of a long project building a library in my spare room. I'm doing it myself, so I go through my books fairly often, and if I read a book I own and don't love it, there is always a shopping bag or box in my front hall to get them out of the house.
I have started to call myself a book collector as well as just an avid reader. This gives me the licence to keep everything, unless I really dislike it. I buy a lot of second-hand books and will often upgrade an old reading copy for a hard-back or a first edition, when it becomes part of the "collection". If I find myself with two copies of the same book after this upgrade, then I donate the old copies to the local hospital for patients to read. In some cases I have multiple copies of the same book, because I like the different editions/covers or have found differences. For example one book was censored in the 1920s, so the first edition has several paragraphs of thick black lines where the text has been obliterated. I needed a modern edition to be able to read what was in these paragraphs (disapointingly dull though it turned out to be).
History books can be kept forever. Very old history books are even better because they can be very wrong which makes them intesting in other ways.
Owning all the works by favourite authors is always a goal, but that doesn't allow you to throw anything out.
This avid collecting does threaten to take over my whole house, but I'm hoping two of the kids will move out next year and free up a whole load of empty wall space!
After I got my first Kindle in 2011, I had a period of several years where most of the books I purchased were in that format. This likely helped curtail the size of my hard copy collection. I still read titles on Kindle now, but I've returned to my preference of hardcovers, so my hard copy collection is growing slowly, but is still relatively small.I've mentioned before that I likely read fewer books than most members in this group, as I prefer to take my time and delve deep into each book and savor the writing style. In this regard, I only buy hard copies of books that I intend to keep, and keep for a long time. More so now than I did before, I highlight and write in my books so getting rid of them in the future will be more difficult.
In terms of getting rid of books though, I did so immediately post college, and during several occasions of moving cross country, or moving between states. I got rid of them by donating them to shelters.
Interestingly however, there was a book I purchased about twelve years ago that I never read, and I thought I kept it in storage. I looked endlessly for it recently, only to realize that I likely gave it away. It is selfish of me to admit, but I really wished I hadn't given this particular one away, as I can no longer find it for purchase new in hardcover.
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Once in awhile, I'll realize I've parted with a book that I regret, but looking at the big picture getting rid of 100 and having regret about 1 is still a net gain.
I'm also largely reading on Kindle now, which is great because I can satisfy book hoarding tendencies without adding to clutter.
The last time I really culled books was 25 years ago when I separated from my then husband and had an opportunity to leave behind those I didn't "need". I'm now surrounded by overfilled bookcases, piles of books up the stairs and next to the walls. They make me happy. Has anyone watched Black Books? That's me. Also, I think I was greatly influenced by Fahrenheit 451 and feel responsible to save the life of every book.
A shiver goes up my spine every time I see this topic in my notifications. To each his own, lol.I occasionally sell books I've read and for which I have no particular affection to my used book store in exchange for a store credit. The net transaction typically results in the re-homing of 8 or so books and adoption of 20 or so new ones, so "getting rid of" doesn't seem like an appropriate description for the event.
On rare occasion (a couple of times per year?), I donate a box or so of books to Goodwill or my library system for its annual book sale. It's an unsatisfying endeavour.
I own probably 450 books I've not read and another couple of thousand that I have. I'm likely underestimating but refuse to count them. As several others have said, the overfilled bookcases, piles of books in my bedroom and next to walls, and the knowledge of another 8 - 10 boxes of books elsewhere bring me much joy in a world that on occasion doesn't offer joy lightly.
YMMV.
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Marc wrote: "When my wife and I moved in together 18 years ago, I left my books packed in boxes for a few months. It was not until I unpacked them that I realized how happy their physical presence makes me, Car..."Ron Charles wrote the best essay on Marie Kondo and her KonMari Method. I reread it from time to time to spark joy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
This riposte is fantastic. https://electricliterature.com/liking...
There are many opinions in this essay which I've had for years (though the middlebrow thing I was longer coming round to). The points are expressed so eloquently there, whereas I tended to sound exasperated at best. Now there is no need for me to chunter on about these things as I can just link the article.
Antonomasia wrote: "This riposte is fantastic. https://electricliterature.com/liking...
There are many opinions in this essay which I've had for years (though the middlebrow thing I was longe..."
I recall this essay, too, and agree in terms of the racist angle and related books-as-props self-identification a few have. I don't think the essay honestly addresses any of the points Ron Charles' makes and to which I subscribe, which boil down to, my books aren't a problem to be solved but a part of me, but reasonable folks can certainly disagree. Then again, I'm the daughter of a 97 year old antiquarian / collectible book collector and dealer so they've been a key part of my life and how I evaluate my happiness for more decades than I care to count. lol
I've learned that books in my living room, or places where people might trip over them is sometimes more trouble than it's worth. The idea of my books being part of my personality may be truer than I'd like to admit, but I don't like to use my books as a statement for others (besides, many people assume that you can't possibly have read the books you own - anyone else noticed this? Disbelief and a "have you actually read all of these?") I will admit to moving the whole religion and politics sections of my library to my office just so I could avoid overheated and unhelpful discussions, but I'd never get rid of these books b/c I use them. Even if I don't, it makes me feel good knowing I can grab them off my shelves if I want to. I have an inherently different understanding from a person in my life, who will remain nameless -- she and her husband moved into a huge house that has the most amazing library, honestly a library I'd kill to own (the space itself/shelves/view/etc.) This person asked me if I could come "help her find good books.... that matched her color scheme" -- I can't even believe this happened, but I see those books every time I visit, and I know they've not moved from the shelves since we purchased them and put them there. That offended me so much, and I never should have allowed myself to take part in what I consider close to a crime -- one in which I took part.
It's a bit like purchasing the appearance of an intellect. So I get both the Ron Charles article and the Electric Lit one (and I'm really horrified at some of the responses in that article. I knew better than to watch Marie Kondo since I'm messy at a very core level, and learning to fold, something my mother adores to teach, has never sparked much beyond irritation in me.) I do find it helpful to clear out clothes and shoes and things like that, and I weed my books because there's not enough space in my life for the books I own, unless I stop bringing new ones into the house. And I keep getting caught up in buying books that are "highly anticipated" or whatever, then finding I don't like them as much as maybe some others do.
Ella wrote: "I've learned that books in my living room, or places where people might trip over them is sometimes more trouble than it's worth. The idea of my books being part of my personality may be truer than..."I agree completely. We have a smallish home and none of our adult friends visit it, so there’s no one impressed or to impress, and my piles are upstairs out of the way of traffic. Most of my IRL friends read predominantly if not exclusively on kindle, and are unable to comprehend wanting physical copies of books in their lives. As a result, they not only don’t equate book ownership with intellectualism but they suspect it’s an indication of Luddite status.
I’m most like you Carol in terms of the number of books I have, only, about 2/3 of the books I own I haven’t read. I get a lot of pleasure from having a library of choices in the house all the time and I love reading parts of books and putting them back again without finishing, or opening in the middle. I don’t keep books I’ve read unless I’m sure I want to reread them at will and on a whim.
I don’t like clutter. Never have. My books are on bookshelves in the library and in my basement office. But they weren’t organized. I’d get so frustrated trying to locate a specific book that I would have to phone my eldest son (who lives in a different state) to help me find it. He has photos of my bookshelves and would give me specific directions: “Mom, it’s the fourth book on the third shelf in the basement—the shelves behind your desk, not the shelves facing it.”
You get the idea.
So I decided to organize. I grouped my books according to type.
In the basement office, I have my women’s studies/feminism books; books on Native Americans; text books I used when I taught English; Norton Anthologies; books on religion, especially monotheistic traditions; and philosophy.
My books on pre-patriarchal goddess figures, mythology, the classics, and ancient world literature texts (primary and secondary sources) are located in our small weekend condo.
Plays, short stories, essay collections, biographies, poetry, novels, and books on literary criticism are now housed in the library on the main floor. I have organized the novels according to the author’s last name. Most of my books are novels.
Now when I need a book, I think of its classification, and I know exactly where to find it. I get such a kick out of seeing it all organized and accessible.
I know. I need help. My children have been telling me for years to seek therapy.
Tamara wrote: "I don’t like clutter. Never have. My books are on bookshelves in the library and in my basement office. But they weren’t organized. I’d get so frustrated trying to locate a specific book that I w..."
That's great!!
I tend to get rid of books as soon as I have read them to make room for new books. I will either take them to a charity shop, a little library or leave them on a bus or train with a note saying please read and pass on.
Tamara wrote: "I don’t like clutter. Never have. My books are on bookshelves in the library and in my basement office. But they weren’t organized. I’d get so frustrated trying to locate a specific book that I w..."
Tamara, I couldn't live with my books in a disorganized state either. They don't have to look neat on a shelf, but my books are categorized in a way I can maintain, and I can find any book I own in less than 5 minutes (unlike all other possessions where it's a crap shoot...) I do need the GR app to make certain when I"m out and about that I don't buy second copies of books I own, however.
If this is the only trait you possess for which your kids suggest therapy, I"d call it a win.
Carol wrote: "I do need the GR app to make certain when I"m out and about that I don't buy second copies of books I own, however. .."
Carol, I'm relieved to hear I'm not alone in having organized bookshelves. But unlike you, I've brought second copies of books I already own more times than I care to remember. And I never realized I was doing it until i organized my books.
Carol wrote: "If this is the only trait you possess for which your kids suggest therapy, I"d call it a win."
They have compiled a list of my traits that require therapy. They assure me it's a list that grows exponentially the older I get.
Tamara wrote: "Carol wrote: "I do need the GR app to make certain when I"m out and about that I don't buy second copies of books I own, however. .."
Carol, I'm relieved to hear I'm not alone in having organized..."
Only one of my children has such a list, but it does indeed expand annually to include additional required fixes. Alas. I hope he's not holding his breath on that.
Carol wrote: "A shiver goes up my spine every time I see this topic in my notifications. To each his own, lol.I occasionally sell books I've read and for which I have no particular affection to my used book st..."
Carol, thank you for this post--it warmed my heart. I agree with every point you made, from the reaction to the topic to the joy in having the books around. Amen!
Sadly, this decision got made for me a couple of years ago by a bad case of mould in a rented flat : (
Franklinbadger wrote: "Sadly, this decision got made for me a couple of years ago by a bad case of mould in a rented flat : ("Oh, how sad! I’m sorry you experienced that.
Thank you. My friends and family didn't understand why I didn't try to get compensation from the landlord as it was due to a recurring structural problem that he'd concealed. But the books were the most important thing that I lost and I couldn't put a financial value on them - it was just the memories.
Franklinbadger wrote: "Thank you. My friends and family didn't understand why I didn't try to get compensation from the landlord as it was due to a recurring structural problem that he'd concealed. But the books were the..."That's really sad. It's not just the loss of books. It's the memories tied up in the experience of owning the books and reading them and seeing them in front of you and pulling them out to re-read them when you feel like it.
I'm really sorry this happened to you.
Thank you, Tamara. It"s good to talk about it with people who understand that books are more than just books.
I am about to move so I have been mentally revisiting this topic. Should I clear out books I'm not interested in anymore? Should I just weed out duplicates? Or should I keep them all since my new home will have more bookcases? I can't decide.
Sara G wrote: "I am about to move so I have been mentally revisiting this topic. Should I clear out books I'm not interested in anymore? Should I just weed out duplicates? Or should I keep them all since my new h..."I'd hesitate to throw out books you're no longer interested in unless you're absolutely sure. You must have been interested in them at some point. Who knows? You may find them interesting again later and then regret not having them.
I suggest weeding out duplicates. Keep your favorite edition and donate the duplicate.
Your new home with more bookcases means you'll just have additional space to put new books :)
I am reminded of a story I can only partially recall. I believe it featured Gore Vidal's vast library and it ridiculed his guests who would exclaim: "Oh, so many books! Have you read them all?" The question left the reader to ponder -- what are the reasons to have personal libraries that exceed our abilities/time to read every book they contain?Well, I'll start with ....
Sara G wrote: "I am about to move so I have been mentally revisiting this topic. Should I clear out books I'm not interested in anymore? Should I just weed out duplicates? Or should I keep them all since my new h..."If you have time to clear out and weed now, take advantage of it. Avoiding choices because you're moving to a bigger home with more bookcases just kicks the can with no upside. Wouldn't you rather have lots of capacity at the new place for your future acquisitions.
Otherwise, what Tamara said. :)
Last week I saw a video by YouTuber Adam, who runs the channel Momento Mori and is the enfant terrible of Booktube. He stated that despite the fact that a good majority of his books are unread, he doesn't stress out because they've all been chosen for reason - not because they have a fox on the cover etc (which is what booktubers do). I agree with this. If you carefully buy your books then you know that eventually you'll read it in the future.
Robert wrote: "If you carefully buy your books then you know that eventually you'll read it in the future. ..."Robert -- that still begs the question as to whether all the books we place in our libraries, we place there in order to read them. Which I find an intriguing challenge to answer. I do know that a number of my books are far more for reference than for reading. But I also know a number exist because they are gifts, and remind me of the giver, whether I read them or not. Others have come from paths largely outside of direct conscious choice, such as membership in some organization, and are "too pretty" or "too attractive" or "too interesting" to throw away. A few are inherited and pass along family lore. And I really haven't thought about what are some of the other categories, but there are undoubtedly a few aborted projects for which I collected books before moving on to something else, yet derive a certain sense of pleasure (or discomfort) encountering on my shelves from time to time.
Carol wrote: "Sara G wrote: "I am about to move so I have been mentally revisiting this topic. Should I clear out books I'm not interested in anymore? Should I just weed out duplicates? Or should I keep them all..."
ha! How to avoid chores! This is is the best advice.
ha! How to avoid chores! This is is the best advice.
I moved last summer, and after that experience I certainly won't move as many books ever again. I'm not the type to settle down long term--the place I moved out of, I had lived for 8 years, and that seems more than enough to me. My current home I doubt I'll live in for more than 5, and after that, I don't know. My partner does want to settle down somewhere, but I'm wary of locking myself to real estate ever again and I long for a life where all I do is travel inexpensively. All this to say, owning too much of anything to me feels like a weight. So I'm trying to only own what books really matter to me.I also come from the tremendous privilege of living somewhere with a terrific library system, where I can get my hands on nearly any book I want.
I really rarely unhaul books I have not read. The only time I did it recently was with a novel I got through a "blind date with a book" sort of book box, and it seemed to be a novel that was not the first book in the series... this book I supposedly can read without reading the other ones, but I feel like I have to read the other ones, but they don't interest me THAT MUCH.On the other hand, I am unhauling any novel I give less than 5 stars to, unless I have a specific reason to keep it (part of a series / collection, for example), and even some 5 stars if I don't feel that attached to it anymore.
I usually give them to my parents, and after they read them, they donate it to a shelter local to them or their local library.
