Extollager
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2010
- Messages
- 9,241
This thread is intended not so much as a place for thinking about maybe disposing of some books,* as of telling about having done so: why you decided to dispose of books, how hard or easy that was, what methods you used for deciding what to retain and what to loose, the sense of relief at letting go, the regret over a book you wish you'd kept -- and remember that it's (often) not all about the you (and the books), but also about the people who came next for those books: the used book dealer who bought your book or gave you trading credit for it (or didn't), the friend or family member who accepted a book (or didn't), the donation of books to Friends of the Library -- and any other relevant stories and reflections from this aspect of your book life.
For a while, I kept track of books I gave away in a pocket diary, but I've ceased doing that since the time has come when most of the books I give away are books other people give to me to give away (or, occasionally, to keep): friends in the Seattle area and Philadelphia send me boxes of books to keep or, mostly, to offer on the freebie table on the third floor of the Main Building on campus. I've given away hundreds of books from my late father's collection (and kept a bunch too).
I did, however, recently give away my 1989 Britannica set to a family member, and promptly filled up the space with art books that had been shelved elsewhere, etc.
*For posting about that, go here:
So Many Books, but Limited Reading Time and Lifespan
For a while, I kept track of books I gave away in a pocket diary, but I've ceased doing that since the time has come when most of the books I give away are books other people give to me to give away (or, occasionally, to keep): friends in the Seattle area and Philadelphia send me boxes of books to keep or, mostly, to offer on the freebie table on the third floor of the Main Building on campus. I've given away hundreds of books from my late father's collection (and kept a bunch too).
I did, however, recently give away my 1989 Britannica set to a family member, and promptly filled up the space with art books that had been shelved elsewhere, etc.
*For posting about that, go here:
So Many Books, but Limited Reading Time and Lifespan
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