Booking Through Thursday's question for today is:
When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain? Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?
My personal library does pretty much blossom into an out-of-control creature. I haven't done anything to organize it in a very long time and I honestly don't think I will be doing any of it in any near future. My dream of course is to be a homeowner (I am unfortunately still a renter) with a separate room just for my books and nothing else. I do own close to a thousand books (all the read ones are in plastic bins in the basement because I simply have no room to shelf them) and I own that one room really wouldn't be enough but it's still nice to think that I would have a real personal library.
Anyway, I mostly do not get rid of books. Not all of the ones I keep will be reread by me but I do have a daughter and there is a son on his way to this world and I keep all my books for them, so they can browse this future library room of mine and pick up any book they want to (and then, when I am no longer in this world, their children and hopefully grandchildren can still read all the books I left them).
However, there are books that I have a feeling I could pass on to another person without "hurting future generations". I don't really like to think of it as "getting rid of books" because that's not what I do. I simply give them to someone who will appreciate them better than I can. If the quality is almost brand new (meaning, I have read them but you can barely tell), I usually would run a giveaway on my blog. If they look slightly worse than brand new, I then donate them to my local library for the library sale.
I also want to have a room dedicated for my books...since I'm still renting a house, I forced my self not to buy too many books...till I have my own house :)
ReplyDeleteSomeone else holding my 'baby' is a very hard thing. My house is a mess because of it.
ReplyDeleteMy answer
I can't stop accumulating, but almost never keep a book after I've read it. Still out of control as I keep getting more ...LOL
ReplyDeleteI like my books. I do keep giving away yet it keeps expanding!
ReplyDeleteBooking Through Weeding
I want to have a book room (mini-library) with a fire and a comfy armchair... or even a chaise longue :)
ReplyDeleteOh I would love to have a library too :)
ReplyDeleteNow I keep some, some I donate, some I send away, or give away
Oooh - I would love to have a room dedicated to books also. I really like your thought of passing your books on.
ReplyDeleteI dream of having a personal library, too! Maybe one of these days. For now, everything gets stacked up on my bookcase... sigh!
ReplyDeleteI think it's great you keep many of your books for your children! I'm sure I'll do that, too :)
It would be nice to have a library in the house.
ReplyDeleteI prefer "passing them on" to "getting rid of them," too.
I get rid of the ones that I absolutely don’t like, the ones that I rate as “Toss” in reviews. I tend to keep books that are of literary artistry.
ReplyDeleteRecycling them like that is the best thing to do with them, I agree! :-)
ReplyDeleteLike you I hold onto books I think my kids would like to read when they're older. My post is here.
ReplyDeleteI have collected books for my daughter also. Passing them on to others is a great way to keep the book love going! Fingers crossed for your future book room(s)!
ReplyDeleteI had a room pretty much devoted to books in my last house but now I don't have the room so my bookshelves are divided between two rooms
ReplyDeleteSomeday I'd love to have a room filled with bookshelves...until then, I have to weed out occasionally!
ReplyDeleteHow nice that you're saving books for your children. I saved lots of my son's favorites for my grandchildren :)
I used to do giveaways on my blog but I just don't have the money for that right now. So I release them through book crossing.
ReplyDeleteI think you've put your finger on it when you used the word "creature." The libraries of book lovers are like living things that grow independently of the book collector, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteMy BTT is HERE
I really like that you keep your books for your children. I didn´t own any books when I was a child, but I have also bought loads of children´s books as an adult when I find good quality at the right price. And especially my youngest loves reading old children´s books. It is wonderful to enjoy the same books and discuss them afterwards.
ReplyDeleteIt would be very nice to be able to have a room just for books! Luckily, I can build a library of ebooks on my computer.
ReplyDeleteI think of my personal library these days as an untamed forest. It can be dangerous entering. ;-) Like you, it's been awhile since I last organized my library. I have so many books and it takes a lot of time to add in the new additions. I don't have enough shelf space either.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for my husband and I to part with books too, although we don't have anyone to leave the books to like you do. I am trying to be better about letting go of the books I will not re-read, but it's a slow process. I grew up surrounded by books and I like the feeling of being so now.