Your Personal Library Policies

[Hassan]

[quote name='Era Might' date='15 June 2010 - 03:33 PM' timestamp='1276630429' post='2129385']
I've been thinking today that I'm going to just not have a personal library...I'm just going to keep a few books that I know I will read throughout my life. What annoys me about a personal library is that it never ends. I don't want to spend money on books for the rest of my life. I think I'm only going to keep books that are ABSOLUTELY essential (e.g., "The Complete Works of Shakespeare"). There are probably no more than 10 or 20 books on my shelf that fit that description.
[/quote]


Why are you so fixated on the number of books you have? I don't understand why you must have some perfect equilibrium of books. Ok, you don't want to buy anymore. Why must you get rid of the ones you have, seemingly purely for the sake of only having the perfect number?

[MIKolbe]

books can get heavy.

[Era Might]

[quote name='Hassan' date='15 June 2010 - 03:41 PM' timestamp='1276630884' post='2129395']
Why are you so fixated on the number of books you have? I don't understand why you must have some perfect equilibrium of books. Ok, you don't want to buy anymore. Why must you get rid of the ones you have, seemingly purely for the sake of only having the perfect number?
[/quote]
Well, for various reasons.

1) I have to make a decision now whether I'm going to keep a library or not. I don't want to keep buying books if I'm not going to keep a library.

2) I want to start living an ascetic lifestyle and getting rid of everything that weighs me down. I'm thinking about giving away my music CDs as well. I basically want to live as simply as possible.

3) I don't like having books on random subjects. If I have a library on a particular topic, I want it to thoroughly cover that topic...otherwise, what's the purpose of having a library? Public libraries fill entire buildings with books...there's no end to the amount of books you can have on a particular topic...which means I would constantly be spending money on books. I don't want to spend money on books when I know public libraries can provide me with what I need just as easily.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Era Might

[Hassan]

[quote name='Era Might' date='15 June 2010 - 03:54 PM' timestamp='1276631660' post='2129403']
Well, for various reasons.

1) I have to make a decision now whether I'm going to keep a library or not. I don't want to keep buying books if I'm not going to keep a library.

2) I want to start living an ascetic lifestyle and getting rid of everything that weighs me down. I'm thinking about getting rid of my music as well. I basically want to live as simply as possible.

3) I don't like having books on random subjects. If I have a library on a particular topic, I want it to thoroughly cover that topic...otherwise, what's the purpose of having a library? Public libraries fill entire buildings with books...there's no end to the amount of books you can have on a particular topic...which means I would constantly be spending money on books. I don't want to spend money on books when I know public libraries can provide me with what I need just as easily.
[/quote]


Why does it have to be a library or nothing?

I have some eccentric habits. I go for walks alone downtown at 4:00am. So I'm not knocking your behavior just because I don't understand it. I'm just trying to see why you are viewing this in such a dichotomous way. Why it has to be all or nothing. Why you must classify a set of books as a library and not just a collection of books.

[Era Might]

[quote name='Hassan' date='15 June 2010 - 03:58 PM' timestamp='1276631917' post='2129407']
Why does it have to be a library or nothing?

I have some eccentric habits. I go for walks alone downtown at 4:00am. So I'm not knocking your behavior just because I don't understand it. I'm just trying to see why you are viewing this in such a dichotomous way. Why it has to be all or nothing. Why you must classify a set of books as a library and not just a collection of books.
[/quote]
You hit the nail on the head. This is just an eccentric thing with me. I hate seeing my bookshelf and knowing there are books there that I don't need. It just annoys me.

Taking a walk at 4:00am sounds kinda cool too. I might try that.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Era Might

[Brother Adam]

As a DRE I'd never be able to narrow it down that much, but I could probably get it down to 6-8 bookshelves.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='Hassan' date='15 June 2010 - 02:58 PM' timestamp='1276631917' post='2129407']
Why does it have to be a library or nothing?

[/quote]

I have a Master's in Library Science, so I can't imagine a collection of books without considering it a "library." Maybe if I only had a few miscellaneous books it would be different. But, since I have consciously built up a collection of paperback mysteries, and have one whole room in my house set aside for my collection, whether intentional or not, I have a "library." And, if there were any question, the fact that my books are cataloged answers any questions of whether it is a "library" or not.

But, that's just me. For example, my mother, who also has a Master's in Library Science, owns almost no books because feels no need to own books since they are available at the public library.

There is no reason why anyone should feel they "have" to have a library. And, to me, the fact that my books are cataloged, classifies me as a true "geek"--even though the reason they are cataloged is to keep me from accidentally buying duplicates.

I simply think that reading books is a good thing--whether you own them or whether you get them from the public or university library. And, there is no reason for anyone to have to feel they need to call their collection of books a "library" unless they feel like calling it that. Otherwise, if they're just "your books"--that's cool.

It's people who don't enjoy reading at all that I have a hard time understanding. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/book.gif[/img]

Edited June 15, 2010 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[Era Might]

I went through my books. I have about 100 books that I don't need, and about 40 that I'm going to keep (but about half of those are from two authors who are important to me). I'm going to catalogue the books I don't need and I'll post them here to see if anyone wants them...otherwise I'll just give them away locally.

[ardillacid]

[quote name='Era Might' date='15 June 2010 - 06:21 PM' timestamp='1276640467' post='2129517']
I went through my books. I have about 100 books that I don't need, and about 40 that I'm going to keep (but about half of those are from two authors who are important to me). I'm going to catalogue the books I don't need and I'll post them here to see if anyone wants them...otherwise I'll just give them away locally.
[/quote]

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Era Might' date='15 June 2010 - 03:21 PM' timestamp='1276640467' post='2129517']
I went through my books. I have about 100 books that I don't need, and about 40 that I'm going to keep (but about half of those are from two authors who are important to me). I'm going to catalogue the books I don't need and I'll post them here to see if anyone wants them...otherwise I'll just give them away locally.
[/quote]

[Lil Red]

i love books and i love to read. i have an eclectic variety of interests, and so pick up books that interest me. my preference is hard back, but if it's a book that only comes in softcover that I really want, I'll get it. I'm also a sucker for cheap books (love amazon, halfpricebooks, etc...)

i have too many books and a perpetual stack of about 20 books by my nightstand that need to be read.

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' date='15 June 2010 - 06:24 PM' timestamp='1276637068' post='2129469']


It's people who don't enjoy reading at all that I have a hard time understanding. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/book.gif[/img]
[/quote]

Word.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='Era Might' date='15 June 2010 - 06:21 PM' timestamp='1276640467' post='2129517']
I went through my books. I have about 100 books that I don't need, and about 40 that I'm going to keep (but about half of those are from two authors who are important to me). I'm going to catalogue the books I don't need and I'll post them here to see if anyone wants them...otherwise I'll just give them away locally.
[/quote]

[cmotherofpirl]

Every saturday I scour flea markets and yard sales for new stuff to read, and now I'm collecting for the grandbaby as well.
I have 8 eclectic shelves in the hall that range from algebra and ancient Ireland thru cookbooks, science fiction to zoology. I have a tiny bookcase in the dining room devoted to birds, flower, and tree reference material etc and and entire room in the attic of packed-away books awaiting shelving in the far distant future. I love the murder mysteries so I have collected Dorothy Sayers and Ellis Peters, and science fiction so I have hundreds of old paperbacks from house sales that I read slowly over the summer. My collection of C.S.Lewis, Tolkien, and my classics collection somehow migrated to California with my army daughter, so I will have to make a raid on her bookshelves soon. . She came back with 2 boxes of clothes and 6 boxes of books

[Era Might]

[quote name='Era Might' date='15 June 2010 - 06:21 PM' timestamp='1276640467' post='2129517']
I went through my books. I have about 100 books that I don't need, and about 40 that I'm going to keep (but about half of those are from two authors who are important to me). I'm going to catalogue the books I don't need and I'll post them here to see if anyone wants them...otherwise I'll just give them away locally.
[/quote]
I made it a separate thread for the books, so people can still post in this thread about their personal libraries:

http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=106099