Books once more
Jan. 16th, 2011 12:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
adair posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
unclutterI've been commenting on other book posts - it's time to make my own.
On Friday I took 3 boxes of books to my office to give away. Some were mine, some were my mother's. About half were taken by people in my department. The rest will go to the library book sale. I work in a university library; this makes it a little easier to move books on. I've tried selling some of them, but used book dealers in my town get too many books and usually don't want mine. I've sold a few on Amazon, but it's a lot of work, and requires the books to stay around until they sell; I need the space.
Three books came into my house; 2 from Amazon, 1 from Barnes and Noble. I brought 2 more boxes of my parents books from the garage; there are a least 15 still there.
Books and printed material are my biggest problem in accumulation in a small house. I keep books I might want to read again, books I bought but have not read, books that tell me how to do things I may or may not ever do, and books that belonged to my parents or my SO's parents that still have nostalgia attached.
I cleared my parents' house 4 years ago when they went to a nursing home because my mother could not move safely and my dad was unable to help her (he was 91). They had a lot of books, and were reluctant to let them go. I took about 30 boxes to my garage, and have been slowly moving them on. My mother does not really read anymore (my father died in 2008) and as long as I don't mention the books she does not really think about them.
I had been thinking in terms of getting the books to the best place - their small-town library, the local historical society, people they knew who would like the books, family members - all good activities but taking far too long. Since the library where I work has a yearly sale of gift books they don't want, with the money going to buy books they need, this seems a quicker way to move the books on in a way my parents might approve. Of course, this is also a good place for me to deposit books I can bring myself to part with. I still like seeing the books go to individuals; having staff take what they like lets me see what they might want to read, and soothes my need to see my books having other readers.
Sometimes those books with how-to-do-it information can be used and passed on. There were 3 books on roofing in the boxes I took away on Friday. My house had a new roof in 2009; one of my staff who needs a new roof took the books to peruse as he decides what to do. Maybe then he can pass them on until they become out of date.
On Friday I took 3 boxes of books to my office to give away. Some were mine, some were my mother's. About half were taken by people in my department. The rest will go to the library book sale. I work in a university library; this makes it a little easier to move books on. I've tried selling some of them, but used book dealers in my town get too many books and usually don't want mine. I've sold a few on Amazon, but it's a lot of work, and requires the books to stay around until they sell; I need the space.
Three books came into my house; 2 from Amazon, 1 from Barnes and Noble. I brought 2 more boxes of my parents books from the garage; there are a least 15 still there.
Books and printed material are my biggest problem in accumulation in a small house. I keep books I might want to read again, books I bought but have not read, books that tell me how to do things I may or may not ever do, and books that belonged to my parents or my SO's parents that still have nostalgia attached.
I cleared my parents' house 4 years ago when they went to a nursing home because my mother could not move safely and my dad was unable to help her (he was 91). They had a lot of books, and were reluctant to let them go. I took about 30 boxes to my garage, and have been slowly moving them on. My mother does not really read anymore (my father died in 2008) and as long as I don't mention the books she does not really think about them.
I had been thinking in terms of getting the books to the best place - their small-town library, the local historical society, people they knew who would like the books, family members - all good activities but taking far too long. Since the library where I work has a yearly sale of gift books they don't want, with the money going to buy books they need, this seems a quicker way to move the books on in a way my parents might approve. Of course, this is also a good place for me to deposit books I can bring myself to part with. I still like seeing the books go to individuals; having staff take what they like lets me see what they might want to read, and soothes my need to see my books having other readers.
Sometimes those books with how-to-do-it information can be used and passed on. There were 3 books on roofing in the boxes I took away on Friday. My house had a new roof in 2009; one of my staff who needs a new roof took the books to peruse as he decides what to do. Maybe then he can pass them on until they become out of date.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-18 05:47 pm (UTC)Ugh.
I admire you deciding that taking them to the library sale was your best option, rather than getting bogged down in holding onto them, or finding each book a new home.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-18 09:40 pm (UTC)I've spent a good deal of my adult life trying to Not Waste Things, while at the same time getting them out of my way. I've toughened from the experience, but it took years. Dealing with my mother's box after box of cozy mysteries is really pushing the process this time. I'm sure many people would like to read them, but I don't have the time ore energy to find them. The library book sale can take on that job.