How do you handle decluttering books?

[Gentlemommy]

We have a lot of books. A lot. Most of them (like 95%) are good, quality, well written books. I am trying to declutter and books are my nemesis. Most of our books were either given to us (my mom ran a daycare that was equipped with a full library, and when they closed she gave me all the library bound children's books), or bought at library sales, thrift stores, used book stores, ect. I have an easy time getting rid of the Disney books they've been given, the cheap character type books. I have a hard time getting rid of Caldecott/award winner books. We still have thousands of books. My problem is that my youngest is only two. So even though my 8 year old has read a chapter book, I hesitate to get rid of it, because maybe the other two kids will want to read it too. I am a reader. I have a kindle but don't like it as much for kids. I prefer the feel of a real book.

How many books is too many? (is there ever too many???) How do you get rid of books, or do you? How long do you keep books past when your oldest reads them? Do you keep them in case the others are interested in those some day?

We may be downsizing (like to an apartment or RV!) so I really need to figure out if storing these will be worth it, or rebuying them will.

[Georgiana Daniels]

We're supposed to get rid of some? :001_huh:

 

I seriously have no advice for this. Unless it's total brain candy that I'm certain none of my children or my children's children will ever want to read, I keep them.

 

All.

[Ravin]

When we had to majorly declutter books, I focused on keeping books that were either perennial favorites, or else that would be difficult to replace (out of print, purchased overseas, or had been kept from my childhood).

[Sue G in PA]

Books are not clutter. Repeat after me...Books are not clutter. ;) Line the top of your walls with shelving units and put the books up there. You know...up and out of the way, but still accessible if you ever need them again.

[Calm37]

When we had to majorly declutter books, I focused on keeping books that were either perennial favorites, or else that would be difficult to replace (out of print, purchased overseas, or had been kept from my childhood).

 

I built a beautiful collection of thousands of "only the best" books. I have culled them over and over and there is no fluff left.

 

Now I really wish they would all go away! My youngest just turned 15 and most of our collection is no longer used. My oldest don't seem to have marriage on the horizon and have all been reading "Radical." I no longer want these books!

 

Perhaps I could just sell my house in a few years to a new homeschooler? LOL

 

Blessings,

 

Cathy M.

[kiwik]

Books are not clutter. Build more bookshelves. Just because your son has read a chapter book doesn't mean he won't want to read it again and again. I'm encouraging this in ds6 because otherwise soon I am not going to be able to keep him suppose.

[Gentlemommy]

Lol. I totally agree with you all. Most of our books are not fluff, minus the first easy reader/chapter books (like Magic Tree House or the leveled readers) however, I do believe those do have a place in a home library. Most of our books would be hard to replace, as I've been collecting for years, and a lot of them are older books. Well I guess I could replace them, but it would take a lot of time and money. I know that when my youngest is older, it will be easier, but she is still at the board book/picture book level!!! I went through two of our 7 book shelves last night. I got two Rubbermaid tubs full of books to get rid of. Mostly that last 5% of fluff, a few paper backs I had that were 'classics' which I can now get free on kindle, and a lot of parenting/AP books (which are going to a cousin who had a baby recently).

My ideal situation would be to have a HS library. I have so.many resources, books, materials, curriculum. And I'm too lazy to take pics of it, list it, and mail it out. Seriously, that is why I keep all the curriculum that doesn't work for us. Lol.

[Farrar]

It's so much harder if your youngest is only 2! I've done several book purges in the last couple of years. First of the picture books. I kept a full shelf of them and give away and sold the rest. Next of the easy readers - I just held back a short stack of special saving ones. And next of the chapter series books. Those I dumped nearly all of. We had a LOT of them - mostly they had come from the thrift store. But if I had little kids, it would have been so much harder.

 

If you're really downsizing to a very small space and can't keep them, I would be brutal. Books absolutely can be clutter (sorry, folks, but they really can be). And if you have room, then it's great to pack the walls with them, but if you're in an RV or a small apartment, that's not an option.

 

First, I would start relying on the library a lot more. I would get rid of everything *except*...

 

* a very few special books that you know you want to save - you could pick a few and have each child pick a few - that way you get the classics and perhaps the comic or Ripley's or whatever light book your kids might like to look at again and again - so that at the end, you only have a few hundred books at most (picture books are thin, you know)

 

* books that the library won't have that you think you'll want again

 

* solid reference books that you may need for schooling - this could be encyclopedias, history books, DK style books, etc.

 

And then I would sell or part with the rest of them. Of course, if you don't have a half decent library, I'm not sure what to say. That makes it even harder again.

[Ameena]

We're struggling with this too. The big thing I've started doing is to declutter through paperbackswap, which means that I get a credit for each book sent out, and I then can use those credits to get new books. I don't so much mind getting rid of things when it's to make room for new things, KWIM?

[Hunter]

Sometimes I pack books up in boxes and put them away in a dry and safe place. If they stay there for long enough without being needed, I get rid of them.

 

We lose something by being buried in possessions. Losing a few books that we later wish we still had, is worth the gain we get from living a simpler life.

 

I've re-bought too many books too many times to get rid of everything, but I don't fear having to re-buy an occasional book. Sometimes it helps to give something to someone who really needs/wants it. So, even when we repurchase it, it still feels like we did the right thing.

 

For me, fiction is pretty much replaceable with something similar. It's easiest for me to get rid of fiction.

 

I'm getting ready for a big purge. I've been planning it for about a year. I've dived into over complicating certain subjects and collected a bunch of resources to do it "right", and realized there is no "right", or enough time to teach it "right", and that I am not a student's ONLY teacher. It's taken an attitude difference and time to plan to be ready for this.

[threedogfarm]

 

 

First, I would start relying on the library a lot more.

 

I agree with farrar. As long as your library is halfway decent you should have a good, constant supply of books. Keep a small bookcase for library books ONLY and hang a hook on there that can hold the library bag. Books that are being read are kept on the shelves, books that are finished go in the bag. Make it a habit for you, your children and your husband that the books from the library are always on the shelf or in the bag (we use separate shelves for adult and kids books). The fewer books you own, the less likely the library books will become "lost".

 

We have a set of the World Book Encyclopedia and ChildCraft set which takes the place of so many reference books even. It doesn't even take up that much shelf space.

 

With fewer books I have an easier time finding what I need when I need it (shelves are organized by subject: kid's fiction, field guides, gardening books, horse books, medical books, reference books, curriculum, etc. This way shelves don't end up stuffed, either). I do not own many fiction books for myself or my husband--that's what the library is for. So now we're down to mostly reference books and some kid's fiction.

 

That's it. I let the library keep track of books, shelve them and dust them for me. They will even pull them off the shelves for me and let me know when to pick them up now. How much better can you get?

 

How do you get started? Assess the shelving you have and then limit yourself to what can be fit on the shelves (no storing books in boxes!). Be ruthless. Most books are replaceable. If you want, have a nice journal or book that you keep track of favorite books or books that you really enjoyed reading. You don't need to own the book that you or your child enjoyed reading just so you can remember it.

 

Good luck!

 

Michelle

[justme824]

I've got youngers that will need many of the books I used the first go around. But just a couple weeks ago I went through and purged a TON of books from my shelves. Even books I'd need again in a few years. The epiphany for me was realizing it was far easier for me to head to the library website, request the titles I needed for certain lessons, and stop by and pick them up when they were ready. I can still make sure there is a large variety of non-fiction titles to browse and be inspired by through the library alone.

 

What I did keep was fiction. Lots and lots of picture books. Lots and lots of chapter books. Good reference books that I'd like to have available 24-7. All of our 'friends' that we have gotten to know over the years. Much of what is left I imagine I'll always keep.

 

What I didn't keep was fluff (this is very, very easy for me to toss - if I don't enjoy reading it I toss it - if it is twaddle I toss it). I got rid of majority of our non-fiction (except reference style books & some picture books). I got rid of books that I knew weren't going to be books you pick up when you want to snuggle up and read.

 

I cleared up a lot of space and it felt very good. Of course I plan to fill it up with more of the good picture books & chapter books we love as the months/years go. But I am fairly certain I will leave majority of non-fiction needs to the library. Like someone posted earlier - they can track, shelve, and dust them for me. I'll just let them when I need them :)

[daijobu]

Books are not clutter. Repeat after me...Books are not clutter. ;) Line the top of your walls with shelving units and put the books up there. You know...up and out of the way, but still accessible if you ever need them again.

 

I will go out on a limb and disagree with this. Too many books ARE clutter. Too many books can make it more difficult to find the books you want. Old books yellow and their bindings fall apart. And they start to smell.

 

With all due respect, here's another mantra that I use: "I store my books at the public library. I store my books at the public library." If are on the fence about donating a particular book, check to see if its available at the library. Check on Amazon for the cost of a replacement with a used volume.

 

I try to limit myself to reference books and other volumes I use regularly. I should admit that I am not a re-rereader, so that makes it easier for me.

 

Now if someone could help me declutter my yarn stash!

[msjones]

If you don't have the space to store them, then they do count as clutter -- in my opinion.

 

I would only keep the truly beautiful and special books. I would not keep lots of paperback award-winner types, as those are easily found in most libraries or repurchased inexpensively online.

 

Perhaps make a list of those books you really hope your little one will read when the time comes. Put the list in a special place and you could make a big deal of it when she gets older. When the time comes, you can reserve them at the library and it will be lots of fun to go pick them up.

 

In the meantime, you'll have lots more space in your home!

[YaelAldrich]

You know, I would totally agree with y'all about libraries being great for keeping books (for you) without you having to house them yourself, but many (even good) libraries are moving away from plain ol' good literature and buying more twaddle as that is what the regular reading public wants (if they read at all). I still have too many books and will purge again once we get back to the states, but I keep the good ones as much as I can. My older kids have read to death books from my childhood :crying: , but at least they read them! It's hard to find some of those old titles.

 

Good luck!

[VeritasMama]

I have also gotten rid of quite a few books on Paperbackswap. I use magazine boxes to store books on shelves according to subject and reading level. It looks less cluttered and keeps me organized. I have the cardboard magazine boxes from Ikea that are 5 for 2.00, one of my best homeschooling investments so far!

[Hunter]

My rent just went up. Even if I decide not to move, I'm feeling nervous, just at the thought of moving. It's been nice having these books, but...I'm fully ready to let them go now. Whenever I know a move is imminent, I get really anxious about owning even the most basic of possessions.

 

I know the libraries sell curricula at their book sales, so I'm just going to donate it to the closest library, a bit at a time.

 

The rest I'm donating to the community library on the first floor of my high-rise.

 

Bye bye books.