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I would have hoped the school library's discards went to recycling. But maybe at the time recycling wasn't available?
Any way, these days books are easily replaceable or the information is online. But back in elementary school we were taught that books were precious, they had to be used year after year (remember reading the names of the students who had your book before you?), and to put a pencil or pen mark in a book meant you had to pay a fine at the end of the year. I think this idea that books are precious was ingrained into many of us from an early age. That's why it is so hard to let go.
You are correct - this was a time (20 odd years ago), and place (an island) where recycling wasn’t a feasible option.
Your theory on people’s attachment to books certainly makes sense. I also had the same notion of books being precious items, instilled from early childhood. I don’t mean to sound like I think it’s pointless to teach children to respect them, as libraries don’t have unlimited funds for replacement. But neither is it the end of the world if there’s an accident and a book ends up in a puddle or lunch gets spilled on it in a backpack.
I had to be merciless when I downsized and so I only kept around 10 books, including cookbooks. I've since even gotten that down to around 5 books total that I keep. And those are only because they can't be found in a library or it's a book I like to refer to fairly regularly. The cookbooks I had were only kept because of one or two recipes in them, so I just copied those recipes, or just ripped them out of the book.
I usually have several books I'm reading at a time, too, but now I get them from the library. And I use the internet as my research library. The only downside to using the library is when I have renewed the book for the maximum number of times, and haven't finished the book. I'm returning one tomorrow that's way overdue and past it's final possible renewal, but even then, the fine will be $5. I owe the library around $15 right now. But a few times a year, the library has a clean the library day, and you can sign up to help clean the library for 2 hours and they dismiss all of your fines. I get to do something nice to give back to my library, and get my fines waived.
I just don't have room for books that aren't being currently used or read, and once I got used to the downsizing, it's not been a big deal at all. So, if your goal really is to downsize, I suggest you do it mercilessly, unless you won't have access to a decent library system.
I agree with the OP about reading books on a lighted screen - it's not for me. Makes my eyes tired. I like to feel a book in my hand and read printed words on paper.
As far as worrying about losing internet, won't you have a smart phone? If so, you should still be able to look something up with your phone, until the internet comes back up.
As far as worrying about losing internet, won't you have a smart phone? If so, you should still be able to look something up with your phone, until the internet comes back up.
No, no Smartphone. We are one of the 22% (last statistic I saw about this) who don't have them -- and don't want one!
And about the Smartphones, if there was an EMP, for example, wouldn't the cellphones go down, too? Just wondering.
My advice? Keep your top 100 (a total of both your and your husband's). Find homes for the rest....it's very hard to get rid of books-- but new ones come out daily.
I'm active with the Friends of the Library group in my hometown..we get a lot of books when people move...we re-sell them to raise money to support our library.
Old enclyclopedia's are not marketable for us -- no one wants them unless they are real antiques or published in the last 1-3 years. Old textbooks are not marketable. Old health books sit on our shelves.
And the South Beach Diet book? We've received at least 1,482,000 of those..did everyone in the world buy one of those??
Newish fiction, classics, children's books, recent non-fiction, coffee table books, and cookbooks all sell well for us if in as-new condition--and we welcome them.
I seriously downsized our book collection when we moved.
I simply decided which books I could live without, and donated them. A few of my Dad’s books were given to another family member.
I still have books. Every so often I pitch a few more—that is I donate them. I lave limited bookshelf space, so I can manage to be ruthless from time to time.
Give yourself permission to rid yourself of some books, but give yourself permission to keep others. There is no wrong or right.
Remember how happy it made you to discover a book in a used bookstore? Give that pleasure to another when you donate or sell your old books.
And the South Beach Diet book? We've received at least 1,482,000 of those..did everyone in the world buy one of those??
LOL my library has the same problem. Also, the Fifty Shades of Grey books. Nothing like having a library book sale in the senior center and there's almost a whole table with nothing but "50 Shade" books. That sure wasn't the book sale table when my grandma was at the senior center.
My advice? Keep your top 100 (a total of both your and your husband's). Find homes for the rest....it's very hard to get rid of books-- but new ones come out daily.
I'm active with the Friends of the Library group in my hometown..we get a lot of books when people move...we re-sell them to raise money to support our library.
Old enclyclopedia's are not marketable for us -- no one wants them unless they are real antiques or published in the last 1-3 years. Old textbooks are not marketable. Old health books sit on our shelves.
And the South Beach Diet book? We've received at least 1,482,000 of those..did everyone in the world buy one of those??
Newish fiction, classics, children's books, recent non-fiction, coffee table books, and cookbooks all sell well for us if in as-new condition--and we welcome them.
I’ve seen people do amazing things with sets of encyclopedias, like tables. Or wee safes. I’d put it out in the art community.
I’ve seen people do amazing things with sets of encyclopedias, like tables. Or wee safes. I’d put it out in the art community.
When we moved into our retirement house we built a storage room with a door that's a "secret bookcase." You pull on a book to open the door, like something the Addams Family would have.
The other books in the bookcase are the spines from old textbooks, world books, etc. (You have to use book spines because using whole books would be much too heavy for it to work as a door. Plus they are permanently attached, since you don't want books falling out when the door is opened.)
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Solly says — Be nice!
