Anyone else find it hard to get rid of books?

Question

I have lots of books and I want to donate them, but everytime I look at my books, I want to keep them in case I have time to read them later. I know that's what a library is for, but I like actually owning the books. I guess having books makes me feel smart. Does that make sense?

Answer 1

I've loved books and have loved to read ever since I was a child. Never owned but two books as a child, one of them was, Grimms' Fifty Fairytales and I read that book over and over.

I started collecting old books when I was 18 years old, mostly children's books, I loved them so much and it was neat seeing how much books have changed over the years. Back then the paper was much thicker, and they would have one or two blank pages in the front of the book and the back. I loved the pictures also. The story contents were neat even though I did not read them just skimmed thru. The teenage books meant for 16 years olds back in the early 1900's, would no more interest even a 10 year old today. I also collected old educational books with most going back before 1900. They are neat to go thru also, but the greatest are old etiquette books on manners or how to clean your house, and then I have one from 1890 that is on marriage which is really fun reading how a husband is suppose to treat his wife or how a wife is to treat her husband.

I moved around a lot in my younger years and my brothers hated moving me because of my books. One time I thought I would make it easier on them, so I put all the books in one huge box. Yes, I smoked other stuff than just cigarettes back then!

Being an avid reader also, I would have many regualr books bought new or from garage sales.

However, I continued to buy books just because I love how books look in a home. To me, a room that has books looks warm and homey. I always dreamed of having a room as a library one day.

Unfortuantely, thanks to eBay, I now have at least 1500 books and my husband and I were divorced, sold our home of ten years (had one full wall with built in bookshelves) and my books are still in boxes 8 months later.

Now I need to try and sell on eBay. What I had bought were huge boxes of books (postage was fun) and then I spent a great deal bidding on old books that I fell in love with and couldn't resist (no wonder my husband divorced me! LOL).

Those old ones I may hang on for awhile, but one day they need to be sold also. However, I finally found my Grimm's Fairytale books on eBay. Still looking for the exact copy I had but I like the ones I have, along with the Bobbsey Twins!

As for kind of feeling like your smarter having the books, I can understand that, my books made my husband feel smart when we first married and I once heard him bragging to someone they were all his and he reads a lot. I never saw him read anything in our 12 year marriage, except for the sports pages in the newspapers.

However, years ago I had that feeling about if I only had this, I would look smarter or be smarter and then when I got it nothing changed inside me as far as those feelings were concerned. I had to change the feelings and they did come of course from insecurities I had about myself.

Hang onto the books if you enjoy them, but don't hide behind them, stand tall and firm in who you are, because in God's sight you are perfect, He would just like to help put our heart back to His original design that all the yuckies and hardships in the world have caused us to change in ways that are not the best. Our hearts become harder, we become more insecure trying to be like others, when in fact they are feeling just as insecure.

The fact that you were able to recognize that weakness and yet have the strength to own it on this forum whether people know who you really are or not, says a lot about you. I think you are going to have a wonderful life with your honesty and willingness to see the truth inside you.

Just make sure when you move, you don't put all the books in one big box. Oh, wait a minute, you don't need that advice, too much intelligence came out of your question, I don't think anyone in this world could ever do anything that stupid, especially if they were about 23 years old!!!

Answer 2

That's part of what being a bibliophile is about, not just reading books, but collecting them as well. Nothing wrong with that. People like us like to own books just as much as we like reading them. We want them right at hand so they are there no matter when we feel like reading them. The public library is not always open and even if it is, it might not have the book you are looking for available. Our personal library is always open and always has that book. I find it extremely hard to get rid of any books I own. More often than not, I buy more books from the libraries' used book sales than donate to them.

Answer 3

I don't like to get rid of my books, unless they weren't very good, and I have no difficulties with this at all. They're MY books, I paid a lot of money for some of them, and they've enriched my life. Why on earth wouldn't I keep them?!? In fact, a lot of young adult books I kept because they helped me through rough times or just enthralled me are now getting a second life through my kids. Libraries are great, but they only keep the most popular books and dump the older ones, because they have storage problems too. I stopped believing in libraries as a good place to find classic books the day I went to a Friends of the Library sale and realized they were selling off nearly all of their Isaac Asimov and Agatha Christie books. A library without those two isn't much of a library. :)

Answer 4

in a way it does, but wouldn't you feel wiser after you actually read them? If you take longer than a month to read one book, you should just keep them since the cost of going back and forth to the library only to check out books you won't read and return books you haven't read and/or to pay the late fees for the books you actually read through would add up.Read a little before bed every night, then decide which ones ou want to keep. Donate the rest.

Answer 5

oh, God, Yes, yes, it does make sense!!!! I don't feel in the same way about being smart, but i definitely know what your mean about books. My bf is worse...he buys books by tones, there are more books in his place then dust from them.
Don't know what to do with all this, really :-( I have already threw out all the casual little books i ever bought, that weren't very valuable, but there are still so many nice books, which are still left in the house and take HUGE space.
A friend of mine actually donated all the books to libraries or threw them out and supplemented paper books with CDs. But i think it feels nice when you are reading a paper book.

Answer 6

Having books does not make you smart. Not even having read books does make you smart. Maybe having understood some of them will... ;-)

But seriously: I love being surrounded by my books: they are a bit like friends, since I had an intensive dialogue with the ideas in them when I read each of them. I often go back to check something or re-read one I particularly like; and reading a good book at different stages in your life does make it a different experience every time!

So don't have a bad conscience and get lots of bookcases....

Answer 7

Yes, it does. I have the same problem, except I don't keep them to feel smart. After I read a book, it's almost like it's my friend and I feel bad if I get rid of it. And I get really mad at people if I loan them a book and they don't give it back, but they can owe me money for decades and I will completely forget about it.

Yes, I am insane, I know...

Answer 8

Absolutely.
I have never had the heart ( and I seriously doubt that I ever will) to get rid of my books. I ,as well, love owning books.
I have this habit of reading my books over and over again and I love it. I don't enjoy reading the books that are owned by some one else or that belong to a library as much as I enjoy reading my books.
Don't get rid of your books. :)
Happy Holidays!

Answer 9

Everytime a book is accidently damaged or I know I have to get rid of seems like a heart toring experience... this goes for my old school books also....

... solution is donate the book and enjoy the pleasure of knowing that you are passing them to someone who really needs them... it always works.

Answer 10

i completely understand the feeling. i have a nasty tendency to try to photocopy an excessive amount of readings from library books even when i dont need them... just so i feel safe and secure when it gets close to the exams knowing i have the resources so close by, even if i don't read those notes in the end. however i think its necessary to think of it as a disposable culture; the presence of public libraries means that i don't really have to own it in order to have nearly unlimited access to a book.