What Do You Keep In Your Home Library?

Hahaha…tell your dh there is a crazy lady on this forum who has over 10,000 books on 32 7′ bookcases and in totes!    I started my collection years ago when my now 19yos was in K and it grew so big that I opened a homeschool lending library.  Most of them are out of print.  But I do understand your need.  Just look at each book, read a bit of it and ask yourself, “Does this make the subject come alive?  Will it light a fire in my children?  If it’s a fiction book, will it edify us.  Will we be better people after reading it?”  Just a few questions like that will help you weed quite a lot.  If there are those you are still unsure about, post them on here.  I’m sure you’d get some wonderful advice.

I have very limited space and it’s a constant challenge to keep the number of books manageable. We’re often over-run with books! A few things I have found helpful:

* Be willing to read a book and then “let it go.” Give books away freely or sell them as you finish them. This works for books you are unlikely to read again, or unlikely to read in the near future.

* Refrain from buying books for the future. I practice “just in time inventory” with books and clothes because of my space limitations. Buy books as you need them, or shortly before you need them, rather than years in advance.

* If you have a stack of unread books, avoid adding new books to your home until you’ve read what you have. This is hard! I’m embaressed how many books I’ve purchased and then never opened once I got home. If there are books in your unread stack that you are not reading, go ahead and get rid of them rather than hang on to books that no longer appeal to you. If the books still appeal to you, read them before adding more to your shelves.

* Keep only books that are useful to you, that have special meaning to you, that you want to re-read again in the future (or re-use for younger children), or that you intend to read for the first time soon. If the book is likely to sit there unread for years and year, toss it out. If you happen to regret decluttering a partiular book, chances are very good you’ll find another copy if needed.

* Let the library be your strorage area. In other words, use the library as much as is convenient for you.

Hope that helps a little.

Renelle-

Since you mentioned your library is difficult to use, here’s another thought on buying books ahead…

I agree that with a limited space it makes sense to buy books shortly before or as you need them. I’ve been limited in my book buying because I don’t have much money to spend, but I’ve found that there are some kinds of books I can buy ahead safely, and not feel it’s a waste of money or space. The only books I buy years ahead are literature or history books. This is purely a personal choice for our family, because we happen to LOVE history and the literature books I’m buying are either replacing worn-out copies from my childhood or are favorites I’m 99% sure we’ll use. For example, I’d buy Treasure Island for my children even if we weren’t planning to homeschool. I’ve also decided to buy the literature books in hardcover vs. paperback because the hardcover ones from my childhood have held up -the paperbacks have not. I will not spend more than 1.00 on these (unless it’s been illustrated by NC Wyeth – who is one of my favorite artists)

Where I’m going with this is… you may have different “subject” areas (ones your family is interested in or the books are hard to find etc) that you can buy books ahead and not feel like you’re wasting the limited space you have. Might be something to consider, especially if the library is hard to use in your case. Another idea is to keep an eye out for reference books for subjects like science or nature study, the ones that cover more than one animal. This could save shelf space too. Anna Comstock’s “Handbook of Nature Study” comes to mind right away. But then, you’ve probably already figured that one out! 🙂

In trying to keep my books under control I’ve started to apply this standard – If the world went crazy tomorrow and I couldn’t get to the library ever again, and the only books I have available are the ones in my home….do I want this book to be one of those?  It’s amazing how many books I could do without!  Truly, would I care if I could never again read the Pokemon chapter books?  No, I wouldn’t.  So they left.  Would I care if I could never show my children what a panda bear looks like?  Probably.  

I have found it helpful to go through my books over and over.  The first time through I’ll get rid of everything I don’t want.  But wouldn’t you know it, a week or so later there are more books I could get rid of.  But then NO MORE.  And wouldn’t you know, there are more the next week or month.

I keep everything I need for teaching everything.  But I’m brutal about what gets to stay long term.  If we read it and don’t like it I trade it on Paperback Swap.  I do have 9 bookshelves, some big, some small.  But we move a lot and most of our libraries have been pathetic for good, iiving books.  So when I find them, I buy them.

Heather

Heather: what great advice!  I’m going to look at my book buying differently from now on! 

I LOVE books, but my frugal self has learned that it’s a waste of money to buy a book I can get at the library. I buy reference books (hymnals, poetry books, nature guides, Christian parenting books, herbal books), living history books that aren’t available at the library, and character building books (Lamplighter, Ballantyne, Henty). 

I have a great church library nearby too, so I always check there before purchasing anything.