To Toss or Shelve: What Books to Give Away and Which To Keep?

For those of you who seem to be nearing an age where you are ready to dispose of some of the accumulation of your youth, I ask you, “What do you do about all of your books?”

New books are like precious baby kittens to many of us. We get a new book and we cuddle it. Sometimes it lies prominently next to our most comfortable chair. Some books get the prize positioning of being our bedside companions. Either way, we read the book, shelve it and move on the next book that purrs loudly to us.

I recently went to a used bookstore with my 24-year-old daughter. Everything old was new to her. We came home with armfuls of books that I had read years ago. Her enthusiasm made me realize that some books have staying power. It made me rethink how I would recycle the massive volumes of books we’ve accumulated over the years.

Here is a sampling of the books she nabbed: The Time/Life cookbooks from the 1970′s. These books where the first of their kind, as they introduced my parent’s generation to the world of international cooking. The Whole Earth Catalog (I had a tattered copy that I gave to the local library when she was just a tot) was the evolutionary mega-manual that taught a whole generation how to tread lightly on the planet. The Foxfire Books were one of the first series of DIY books (Boy Scout manuals withstanding) with an environmental backbone, and step-by-step instructions for creating everything from tying knots to building outdoor furniture. Lastly, she chose the 1960′s classic, Be Here Now. This is the book that inspired so many to seekers on their spiritual journeys.

Throughout our dusty shopping adventure, I couldn’t contain myself from mumbling, “Oh, I had that book. It is a classic.” And, she would say, “So, mom should I buy it or can I have it?” Well, some of those books I’ve kept, and others went to library sales or the Goodwill store years ago.

How do you know whether or not to donate a book away? In a recent New York Times interview, one of my favorite authors, Francine Prose talks about the way she edits her book collection:

Two years ago, I re-organized my library, and gave away 20 cartons of books, culled according to the following general principles:
1. Unless you are an Egyptologist, you only need one, at most two, enormous coffee table books on the Art of the Pharaohs.
2. If a country, like Czechoslovakia, no longer exists, it’s unlikely that you’ll want to take the travel guide along with you when you go.
3. If the reproductions in an art book are so fuzzy and blurred that you can’t tell the work of the Impressionists from that of the Pointillists, or even from the Surrealists, get rid of it.
4. Ask yourself the following hard question and answer honestly: If I live to be 100, will I read this book again?

When asked whether Prose regretted giving away any of the books, her answer was, “Of all the books I gave away, the only loss I regret (or have even noticed) is the Book of Knowledge, the 25 volumes took up an entire shelf and I had to lose it for the same reason I gave away all those other books: to make room for more books.”

Do you need to purge your collection of books to make room for more? Or, maybe you have a kid who covets your oldies, but goodies. Either way, what books can you live without? Which are keepers? How and why do you dispose of books?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Heather M.

6:32AM PDT on May 16, 2012

My shelves are full to bursting and there are stacks of books on the floor throughout the house. There may be some I would like to pass along in the interest of more space, and I frequently do cull some for donation, but for the most part what I need is better shelves. Most of my shelves end halfway up the wall; floor to ceiling shelves would be awesome one of these days I will get around to finding them.

send a green star

Ann F.

5:32PM PDT on Apr 22, 2012

I love to read but for years now the only time I get to read is when I go on holiday & then I try to read 2 or 3 books unfortunately the last 2 years I have only managed to read 1 book during the 2 weeks as we have had grandchildren with us. Every now & again I have a clean out and donate to Lifeline/Lions annual book sale. Some books I do read for the second time.

Susan S.

5:04AM PST on Nov 12, 2010

This is hard for me. I'm currently down to about 1000 books. I'm trying to have more of them be "pass through" books. I've been picking up about 100 "new" ones from library sale, Goodwill, etc. to get me through the winter. Hope I can pass most of those on.

Jamie H.

10:12AM PDT on Oct 30, 2010

My friends and co-workers exchange books and keep passing them on so they can be loved over and over. I only hold on to a few treasured favourites that I like to re-read.

Shalvah L.

8:05AM PDT on Oct 20, 2010

I get books from a friend or the library, any book I received that I don't see myself rereading, I give to the library or to another friend.

Andrea D.

6:46AM PDT on Aug 13, 2010

thanks

Tourism R.

4:22AM PDT on Jul 21, 2010

A really great way to use old books is to gather few friends, each of them has to bring a old book, take a trip by a public transportation in a big city, and give those books to other people with the "condition" to do the same after they finish reading it.

price per head sportsbook

Sandi P.

1:12PM PDT on Jul 9, 2010

I too cannot give up books. My local library use to accept books, but no longer (which is strange). I donated some the the Veterans.

Paige G.

2:25PM PDT on Jun 24, 2010

I keep my reference books, pattern books, the cookbooks I use frequently, and a handful of my favorite fiction (the ones I reread once a year or so). Everything else is a temporary visitor.

Angelica P.

8:18PM PDT on May 10, 2010

I love books, but when I'm done reading them I either donate them to the publick library or I pass them along to friends.