How do you decide what books to keep?

[funschooler5]

I never thought I'd say this, but I want to seriously downsize our book collection. I've been buying used and new books for about 9 years now(since we started homeschooling), and our house is getting overwhelmed. We have full bookshelves in almost every room. Most of these don't even get read.

 

The problem is, I've been saving these books for my youngest, who is 5. Maybe she'll like a book that my older two didn't. And darn it, I spent a lot of time scouring Goodwill and used bookstores finding these things! I just feel bad that a lot of them would go unread if they stay here.

 

So, how do you decide what to keep and what to get rid of? I can see getting rid of fiction that we haven't taken a liking to, but the non-fiction books are especially hard for me to lose. I feel like we need to keep them around as reference....even though there are only a few we've ever needed for assignments. We have certain science and history books that are recommended in the WTM or other places, but the kids find boring (compared to other books on the same subjects). And then there is the problem of the kids (and me :tongue_smilie:) not even knowing what we have! I keep a fairly organized system, Dewey decimal-style, but still I've bought doubles of books more times than I'd like to admit, and just this week I was so excited that we ownthe book "Life on a Plantation" (it was on this week's recommended reading for SOTW 3) and I couldn't find it anywhere! So I can see where downsizing will make it easier to find the books we actually use.

 

Any tips and/or commiserating would be appreciated! :001_smile:

[dcurry]

We had this trouble too- and what I decided was if it could be found in a library, those were some of the first to go. (Exceptions were books that were absolute favorites that my kids read more than once).

 

If a book was highly recommended or loved AND it was hard to find in a library in my area, then it was definitely a keeper.

 

I also tended to get rid of the ones that had little value (other than actually reading)... no educational value, literary value (good writing), etc. And if your youngest is a boy, I'd probably also get rid of all the "girl" books if your daughter is done with them.

 

I keep the ones that "go with" a curriculum- like historical, biographies, or other books that I don't want to go hunt down when my curriculum suggests it. Even if my older ones found it just tolerable.

 

My poor 5 year old- he has not had near the reading experiences that my older kids had. You'd think he'd have more opportunity since he has more people who COULD read to him, but in actuality, he rarely gets read to. And we get rid of a lot of stuff that he never had a chance at (including movies, etc). My theory, though, is that I can always get it again if it becomes one of his absolute favorites. And we need more room for the PEOPLE in our house!

[funschooler5]

My theory, though, is that I can always get it again if it becomes one of his absolute favorites. And we need more room for the PEOPLE in our house!

 

Good point! Thanks for the advice. I also feel like my youngest (she's a girl) doesn't read to as much as my older two (especially my oldest....I read to her all the time!). I've been trying to read to her every night, and she does wander in and out of out daily read-alouds, but it's not the same.

 

As I've cleared a few things out of DS10's room, I've actually seen him pick up and read more books. It's crazy how many he didn't even realize he had! I guess I just assumed that he'd pick up and read all of those books, but really there are so many there's no way he'd get around to them all. I guess I've got to go for quality, not quantity. :001_smile:

[QueenCat]

Books I keep:

 

1) Favorites I'm likely to re-read, or someone else in the family will.

 

2) Classics

 

3) Reference books

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Why do you have to get rid of them? Can you store them in the garage in boxes (which take up less space than out on bookshelves?) I started collecting books for my future kids before I was even married, and I keep all the books that I don't have space for on the 3 bookshelves, but aren't currently being read, in boxes in my closet.

[funschooler5]

Why do you have to get rid of them? Can you store them in the garage in boxes (which take up less space than out on bookshelves?) I started collecting books for my future kids before I was even married, and I keep all the books that I don't have space for on the 3 bookshelves, but aren't currently being read, in boxes in my closet.

 

Good question. We are possibly moving out of the country later this year...but I'm not completely sure this will happen. I do know we will be moving *somewhere* within the year, and I'm trying to avoid the hassle and expense of dealing with a ton of books. There are several I'm sure I want to keep, and I want to make sure we have room for those.

 

Also, we could definitely use the extra money right now, if I'm able to sell the more valuable ones on ebay or the sale/swap boards. :001_smile:

[Peela]

I understand the love of books but I am not sure why people are so obsessed with keeping so many. The emotional attachment to a physical book is not necessarily realistic or useful once the book is read, assimilated and put on a shelf not to be touched for the next 10 years. Just because you had a good experience reading the book, doesnt mean the physical book is of much value anymore to your future self, if that makes sense.

I found most of our books, such as reference books, weren't actually used, anyway.

I have kept a few classics for grandchildren- like about 10. Maybe i will get rid of those too on another cleanout day and trust i will be able to find them as needed when it's time.

Many of my books are health books- I have got rid of any that I have literally not re-read or even read, in the last 10 years. The ones I have referred to over time, I have kept. So that went from 3 bookshelves down to one.

For kids books- remember the library. And your 5yo will be a different person to your older kids. And...books are cheap really. You can always buy more from op shops as your 5yo grows. Better, IMO, than carting around boxes and boxes of books "just in case".

I guess it depends how much you love that feeling of travelling lightly. Of having less "stuff" in your life. I love it enough to let go of a lot of things, like books, that might otherwise have taken up a lot of space in our home. I love the empty space, the sense of spaciousness, and the sense of abundance that really, if I miss something that I got rid of, I can actually get it again. 99% of the time, I never again think of anything I have got rid of and so never miss it. The few times I have regretted getting rid of something, the feeling only lasts a few moments and then I rarely even miss it enough to buy it again.

[Peek a Boo]

I decorate with books and love the LOOK of a shelf full of books. :)

 

I weed out:

 

--ones that creep me out [like certain picture books. ;) ]

--science books that don't have a lot of clear illustrations [prefer color photos and Very Clear diagrams]

--low quality fiction. [subjective lol]

 

I keep a LOT of books cuz i tend to lose library books. shoot, once a book is in my hands I consider it mine forever, lol. there's something insane about paying a $10 fee on a 99c book. or triple digit fines on a stack of fifty+ that I could get for free from HPB and low cost thrift stores.

 

I *do* tend to box up groups, type up their contents, tape list to the outside, and stack outta the way. That has actually come in handy recently: i can go directly to the correct box, retrieve the book, put a mark next to the title, and have some sort of documentation that the book was removed and to put it back. This is mostly w/ specific historical eras or scientific topics [52 dinosaur books? really? yeah.... hey, they tend to be kinda thin and specific.....]

 

I'm probably not much help in the weeding out...unless I'm coming over to YOUR house and weeding them out to MY house, lol!

[scrapbookbuzz]

You mean we're supposed to get rid of some books?? Isn't that, like, blasphemy or heresy or something?:001_huh::lol:

[EmilyinND]

:iagree:That's funny!!

[Tohru]

This post is perfect timing for me! I've been downstairs weeding through our overfull book cases, that are (I'm not kidding) stacked 2-3 piles deep and horizontal so they'll fit.

 

We've been homeschooling for almost 10 years and there are sooooo many books! It seems like they reproduce on their own.

 

There is too many and we aren't ever going to get back to reading them again or even get to some of them. I want simplicity. I want space.

 

Quality reference books stay

OOP stay - only if they are favorites

Favorites are on a case by case basis.

 

Everything else goes. It feels good to bless some one else :)

 

Although, I must admit, one thing that makes it easier for me to toss is that we keep a reading log of books that we've read and the month/year. I see in our log the books that I read instead of having to look for an actual book.

I know that if I want to read it again, I can repurchase or borrow from the library.

[Rhonda in TX]

I'm also in the process of getting rid of books. I'm determined not to buy another bookshelf. I find it gets easier the more I do it.

 

I let my daughter look over any books I'm thinking of removing. If she wants to keep it, we do. Otherwise, it's gone. I don't let DS do this because he never wants to get rid of anything. I know his favorites, though, and keep those.

 

For my personal books, I'm taking a hard look at whether I will actually ever re-read them. If not, they need to go. I do keep a few books that, while I will probably never read again, I love to share with other people.

[3lilreds in NC]

You mean we're supposed to get rid of some books?? Isn't that, like, blasphemy or heresy or something?:001_huh::lol:

 

:smilielol5: That's exactly what I thought when I read it!

 

We had this trouble too- and what I decided was if it could be found in a library, those were some of the first to go.

...

I keep the ones that "go with" a curriculum- like historical, biographies, or other books that I don't want to go hunt down when my curriculum suggests it. Even if my older ones found it just tolerable.

 

 

I have been trying REALLY hard to utilize the library more. I still tend to buy curriculum packages, since we use LBC and the books are used for longer than our library lets us have them, but if it's something extra or that I know we can get from the library as needed, I try to remember to get them from there.

 

I have kept the books I got for the girls for our K/1 curriculum. We used MFW and I bought a ridiculous number of the picture books they recommended. I would almost rather do something different with Schmooey, but I have so much that goes with those programs, I will most likely stick with them. I have to use at least MFW K. And, since I like LBC, I'm keeping the books that go with the years I have so far.

 

I have been pondering what we can get rid of, too. Dh asked me if I couldn't downsize the book collection and I was sure he'd been taken over by an alien being. However, I know there are things that can go if I just get over myself and my ridiculous attachment to books. He and I have gone through our personal reading collection over the years and kept it at a somewhat reasonable level. We each have authors we like and those are the only books we purchase. I've gotten REALLY good at looking at the library for things I see at the book store first before buying. Yay me! :D

 

I hate getting rid of books. It makes me sad. I do like getting rid of clutter, though, and sadly, books are a big part of that right now. SIGH.

[Mergath]

I need to find out where I can take my books to have them neutered, because I swear they breed. Like rabbits. :D

 

I have a core of books that I plan to keep forever and then be buried with. Any books outside of that, I try to figure out whether or not we can use them for homeschooling. If we probably won't, the deciding factor is whether or not they'll sell at the consignment store. If they'll sell, off they go. If not, they more than likely go back into the bookcase, or if it's something I'm never, ever going to read again, they go to the thrift store.

 

As you can see, it's a somewhat flawed system. Dh has made me swear that I'll get rid of at least half if we every move again, because carrying them all in boxes probably took ten years off his life.

[Frontier Mom]

This post is perfect timing for me! I've been downstairs weeding through our overfull book cases, that are (I'm not kidding) stacked 2-3 piles deep and horizontal so they'll fit.

 

We've been homeschooling for almost 10 years and there are sooooo many books! It seems like they reproduce on their own.

 

There is too many and we aren't ever going to get back to reading them again or even get to some of them. I want simplicity. I want space.

 

Quality reference books stay

OOP stay - only if they are favorites

Favorites are on a case by case basis.

 

Everything else goes. It feels good to bless some one else :)

 

Although, I must admit, one thing that makes it easier for me to toss is that we keep a reading log of books that we've read and the month/year. I see in our log the books that I read instead of having to look for an actual book.

I know that if I want to read it again, I can repurchase or borrow from the library.

 

Great advice. I have this on my summer planning list but I know it won't be easy. I need a serious declutter around here.

[jelbe5]

I am lucky enough to now own a Kindle and an iPad! I am weeding out classics that are free to download to one of those. If I own a hard copy that has beautiful illustrations or is an antique/first edition, I will keep it. Otherwise I feel I can let it go. I find with my needing-bifocals-eyes and sometimes arthritic hands I very much enjoy reading from a device!

[ItsJustMe]

I feel your pain! I have four children, with the oldest and youngest separated by 15 years. I finally invested in an eBook reader (Kindle) and now I've weeded out many of my books - especially the classics since they're freely available via download in many different formats. I also have library cards to several libraries with great digital collections, so I'm able to get many current ebooks on loan that way. (It takes some reformatting to read them on your kindle, but it can be done.)

 

My children prefer to read on a Kindle due to the ability to increase font size and look up words so easily (built-in dictionary). If there's a choice, they'll always go with the ebook.

 

Hope this helps! :)

[ItsJustMe]

I am lucky enough to now own a Kindle and an iPad! I am weeding out classics that are free to download to one of those. If I own a hard copy that has beautiful illustrations or is an antique/first edition, I will keep it. Otherwise I feel I can let it go. I find with my needing-bifocals-eyes and sometimes arthritic hands I very much enjoy reading from a device!

 

Oh, I forgot to mention my iPad. Although I very much prefer my Kindle (the backlighting on the iPad hurts my eyes after a while), the iPad is great because you can download reading platforms for Kindle books, Barnes & Noble books, and several others, and then get tons of free books each month (classics and new releases).

 

I'm with you on the benefits to those with bad vision. I never have to wear my glasses while I'm reading now because when my eyes get tired and the text gets blurry, I just kick it up to the next font size. Problem solved! :)

[Wendi]

I have the same struggle. We have gotten rid of books over the years, in stages. We still have quite a lot of books: books we each owned before marriage, books we've bought for ourselves while married, and books specifically for homeschooling/literature for ds. Plus homeschool curriculum.

 

I am just getting overwhelmed with how much STUFF is in our house, and I really want to declutter in a big way. Many books will have to go!

 

We will have to get rid of anything the library will always have, unless the book is one we like to re-read. We will get rid of all homeschool curriculum and most of the reference books that ds has outgrown. I know I won't be able to sell them all; what I can't sell, I will take to the used bookstore.

 

Of course, the vintage books we own, I will keep. And favorites that we re-read like Tolkien, Lewis, Jane Austen, etc.

 

Part of me struggles with getting rid of books because I worry that someday it will be hard to find paper books; everything will be digital. But I guess that wouldn't be so bad; we like gadgets around here, and I am reading Dickens on my iPhone!

 

Wendi