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I think I need to thin my bookshelves…help!
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I realized after I brought home books from the last library booksale a few months ago that I am completely out of room!! So as hard as it was, I made myself stop buying books, which temporarily fixed the “problem”. Now would be a good time to do some pruning of the bookshelves since are installing hardwood flooring this spring there really isn’t anywhere else to store the books, I’ll be shifting piles/shelves from one room to another, not that I mind really…it’s just a lot of books! I can already see my family saying things like “Oh, I didn’t know we had this one!” and disappearing into corners for hours.
Honestly, I rather buy more bookshelves than thin the books, but both dh and I committed to limiting our spending so we take a longer family vacation this year. (So bookshelf purchases are out, dh doesn’t have time to make them and I am not really a handy person to make them myself.) I’m trying to let my practical side win and just go weed the shelves, but it’s not working! I can come up with all sorts of reasons to keep them. ALL of them.
So, how does one thin out bookshelves anyway? (Not talking about twaddle or duplicates). Or should I give up on the idea and just be thankful I’m out of room?
I have done this…but unless I get rid of twaddle, I usually regret thinning! I generally find that a few years later, I have to buy the book again if I get rid of it! Could you thin out by:
1. Storing books you aren’t currently using in heavy duty rubbermaid containers (clearly marked on the outside).
2. Getting rid of grade levels you know you will never need again – or books that none of you really ‘clicked’ with in the first place.
3. Eliminating very gender specific books who will not have a reader if you don’t have a child of that gender and age approaching.
4. (And my personal favorite) Getting more bookshelves or freeing up cabinet space somewhere for your books.
We have an ikea 5X5 for all current homeschooling materials, a hall bookshelf that holds books we love but aren’t currently reading (about 200), a downstairs bookshelf for Mom and Dad, a shelf for picture books in the little boys’ room, a shelf for girls’ books in our only girls room, and I just freed up 3 cabinets in the laundry room for books.
So maybe I am not the person to answer this question:-)…just don’t ask Robin! She has something like 16,000!!!
By the way, did you know that one of the common factors in the upbringing of geniuses is their exposure to lots and lots of quality books? Regular exposure to art and music ranked high as well!
That is hard to do. I bought some very nice quality used furniture on craigs list. If you buy tall, deep shelves they will hold more books. If you have a kindle or other ereader, you could get rid of those titles which are free on it.
As someone who has had to do this, and in theory loves the idea of more simplified living with less stuff to move when we inevitably need to move again, I will venture a few comments.
— e-book form? that’s a definite consideration for weeding if you enjoy e-readers.
— readily get the book at some future point if you want it (whether buy it for a reasonable price or borrow it)? that’s another potential one to release.
— current edition with a good resale value? I have let go of some curriculum (taking up precious bookshelf space) even if I might want it for future kids IF it has great resale value now *because* it is the currrent edition, but by the time I get around to having it for the next child who might need it that same item likely won’t be the current edition. So I have to count the “cost” of storing it — some math curricula definitely fall into this. Of course, the spacing of your kids will certainly play into this decision.
Having said this, I brought home maybe 8-10 books yesterday from a friend (*ahem* if you are reading this) and you should’ve seen my kids — they barely had their jackets off before they excitedly began to divide the books between them and plan a sequence for which book they each want to read 1st, 2nd, etc. Yes, I love that they are so excited about new additions! But seriously…I’m never going to have a minimalist home, at least where books are concerned. 😉
Well, as I have nearly 17,000 books in my lending library, I’m sure to be no help at all. 😉 I still have room on my book shelves so I’m trying to find the money to fill them up!
Sorry, ServingwithJoy, I just read your post. LOL!! Yeah…I’m usually get folks in more trouble in this area. 🙂 Maybe start a library? (blush…)
But seriously, I can understand the need to weed, and space issues. But I truly believe that access to quality living books is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children. And they are vanishing…rapidly. I’m thankful digital media has made many of these accessible for those who otherwise would not have them but there is something about books on a shelf that just begs for time spent together, having discussions, making memories. Or time spent alone pondering, ruminating, wrestling with life issues. I wouldn’t deprive my children of that for the world. Google searches may give them instant access to facts, but without the life, what’s the point. Guess that’s why Charlotte called them living books…
Well off my soapbox now. Bless you on your decisions. I’ll just close my eyes and try not to peek. 😉
One more…sorry.
Remember the only true Living Book is the Bible. If you have that, you have all you need. Go in peace and feel no condemnation from me (but if you decide to purge, send your for sale list to me first…HA!) 🙂
We kept books in cardboard boxes for years until we could afford shelves a little at a time. Now I’ve been thinking that our bookshelves have a couple feet above them and maybe I could build some sort of inexpensive toppers to gain a few more shelves.
Robin I’d LOVE to open a library someday! And you don’t have to close your eyes – the cull pile consists of two gardening books I’ve never used and likely won’t (public library has tons and tons of gardening books) a knitting book of baby sweaters (my “baby” is 3), scrapbooking books, some twaddle that was gifted to my kids, and a duplicate of Robinson Crusoe. So, I really didn’t get very far! Deep down, I know I don’t want to get rid of books, but I thought my husband would being asking why needed to have so many when we are moving them all in order to put the new floors in. I sincerely didn’t want to feel forced into purging books on the fly in the middle of a home renovation project. Which was the primary motivation for doing it now. However, the closets could most definitely use a purge! So I will turn my practical side loose on the closets and leave the books be. I decided this morning I would only thin books so there is enough room on the shelves to go back to book shopping guilt free. (Whew! That was a close one! The books have been saved – very thankful the practical side of me didn’t win.)
My husband and I had an interesting conversation about books, our family, priorities, and money/budgets this morning, after he offered to build a bookcase even though he really has no extra time. While he did admit that a few years ago he would have wanted me to thin out the books considerably, I didn’t know that had changed and now he really doesn’t mind them, which is amazing, because when we got married he was not a reader AT ALL, not one tiny bit! (Isn’t sad a boy could grow up and never read Treasure Island?) But he’s a reader now! It’s a small miracle really. I asked him to look over a couple of books last night to see if they were ones to keep, and two hours later he came up for air and handed me a book back saying it was a keeper. The kids all wanted to know why they couldn’t read while eating dinner too. It’s a very happy day here! Another reader has been born, as an adult even. Not quite sure how I missed it.
Thanks everyone for your ideas, I think I may have some curriculum I could sell now and I probably have some more duplicates. There’s some reorganizing I could do also to make a bit more room on the shelves until a new bookshelf is built or bought. I think I’m mostly relieved I avoided getting rid of books when I didn’t have to, at least not to the extent I first thought. I sincerely hope anyone else with limited space will find themselves with more room, shelves and understanding husbands! (Or better yet husbands who are readers themselves!) And if not and you really need to thin books, Robin’s last post about the Bible sums it all up. Thanks again everyone.
I agree with only getting rid of what didn’t make the cut as a living book or a great resource. I store books in rubbermaid tubs and my shelves are deep enough that the row across the back the books are stacked vertically and the row in front of that the books are shelved horizontally. It is harder to dig out a book but does allow more books on a shelf. I love books so much that I have rearranged and gotten rid of other furniture to make room for books. My hubby has built some shelves into our kitchen to accomadate more books an we have baskets and shelves of books in every room. We have gotten creative too. Entertainment centers out, bookshelves with the tv on top is better! A few kids have bookshelves instead of nightstands. Our headboard has built in shelves.
I kinda feel like I am building a family legacy while building a library. My children and grand children will have these book forever.
Yay! So glad it’s going to work out! And bless those husbands! 🙂 Mine is SO patient with me. Great idea about purging closets! I think it was Erasmus who said something like, “When I have money, I buy books. If there is money left I buy food and clothes.”
And Doug’s idea is a good one. I still have shelf space so haven’t had to add toppers to the top of my existing ones, but my friends, the Cottrill’s at Living Books Library, have them on almost all of their shelves and it adds space for dozens (if not hundreds) more books.
@MLIP – *ahem* – I’d be lying if I said I was sorry! 😉 Hope they enjoy them! =)
I was listening to a seminar by Cindy Rushton that a friend gave me. She mentioned that we can be selective about the books we choose to keep and not feel guilty about it if we will remember our family’s goals and what we are choosing to surround our children with, especially since our children are with for such a short amount of time in their lives. (The seminar was about inspiring our children toward great literature and the benefits of teaching using great literature. I am enjoying her thoughts.)
Not all classics are created equal and, quite frankly, there are some that do not promote the ideas that we are trying to surround ourselves with. Just because a book is old doesn’t mean it needs to take up space. Charlotte talked a lot about the twaddle available in her time. 😉 If your family realistically isn’t going to read it and you aren’t going to open a library, consider what you might keep in its place and decide if you are giving up the best for somthing that is just good. I have heard several people say that they would rather have a small collection of the BEST books than tons of good books.
I am not there yet, but I am thinking along those lines…maybe I can get over the “fear” to actually do something about it. LOL
I don’t remember how old your kids are, but perhaps you could take ServingWithJoy’s idea and box up some of the preschool-age books into Rubbermaid totes and store them until you have grandbabies?
That way you’re not getting rid of them, but they aren’t taking up precious space on your shelves. We recently put DVDs in a binder (with the disc pockets) and freed up some shelf space that way. The shelves are spaced well for standard paperbacks, but it is so nice to have made room for an additional 100-125 books. We could easily double and maybe triple that if we put all the DVDs in binders.
Is there anything else that is taking your shelf space that could be stored more efficiently?
@butterflylake You’ve solved my living room shelves problem. DING! I knew of this idea. I’ve seen friends use it. I even do this in my vehicle with CDs. I’ll gain more book room with out having to figure out shelves/furniture changes. The library outside has plenty of room, but I like to keep the books we are currently using inside the house. Yeah! Thanks for helping my brain work better.
That way you’re not getting rid of them, but they aren’t taking up precious space on your shelves. 
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