Recently a reader left a comment about the photo below as follows: "You teased me with the beautiful, sunlit photo of what
looks like two sets of books. What are the two sets? You had
previously mentioned collecting the Harvard Classics. I have been
seeing some of them, various editions, periodically, in my local
(Florida) library’s used books-for-sale section, usually for 50 cents
each. If you’re still looking for any volumes, and have a post office
box (I’m sure you don’t want to give out your address) I can keep an eye
out for them."
Yes, one of those sets is my beloved Harvard Classics, purchased for $1/each when our
old library was upgrading. (Thank you for the very sweet offer, but I have the complete set.)
The other (more colorful) set of books is the collection of "Britannica Great Books," purchased many years ago at a different library sale for – are you ready for this? – $3. Not $3 for each book, but $3 for the complete set. Score!
Then the other day, a shaft of sunlight hit the books and I just thought they were so pretty. Heavens, I do love our books.
But apparently I'm not the only one. I stumbled across an article recently called "We’re drowning in old books. But getting rid of them is heartbreaking" that discusses the sorrow older people feel when it comes to downsizing their personal home libraries (an act of love so their heirs won't be forced to deal with them). One woman said, "The idea of getting rid of these books made me nauseous." Another said, "Constitutionally, I am unable to throw a book
away. To me, it’s like seeing a baby thrown in a trash can. I am a
glutton for print. I love books in every way."
I'm afraid these are sentiments I entirely understand.
The article explains, "What to do with old books is a quandary that collectors, no matter what age, eventually face – or leave to their heirs who, truly, do not want the bulk of them. Old volumes are a problem for older Americans downsizing or facing mortality, with their reading life coming to a close. ... Book lovers are known to practice semi-hoardish and anthropomorphic tendencies. They keep too many books for too long, despite dust, dirt, mold, cracked spines, torn dust jackets, warped pages, coffee stains and the daunting reality that most will never be reread. Age rarely enriches a book."
(Speak for yourself. I re-read my books all the time.)
The article adds, "Most people haven’t a clue as to how many books they own. Possibly, they don’t want to know. Roberts [the owner of a used bookstore] routinely make house calls to owners claiming to own 2,000 books only to discover a quarter of that."
Well, in our heyday we had about 5,000 books in our home, including the libraries of both our kids. Two thousand books? Pfft. That's nothing.
"With the exception of rare and antiquarian collectors, few owners know the monetary value of their holdings. Invariably, they overvalue them," remarks the article.
Um, none of our books have any value whatsoever ... except to us. My copy of Jane Goodall's "In the Shadow of Man," signed by her in 1980? Absolutely stinkin' priceless.
While both our daughters have become avid readers, they both have their own tastes in literature, as they should. When the time comes to disperse our library, it's doubtful either kid will want the vast majority of the volumes on our shelves.
But that's okay. They can have a great big bonfire with our books if they want to, then use our shelves to house their own collection. But in the meantime, I'm not getting rid of 40+ years' worth of books just because we're getting older.
As the article concludes, "[One booklover] makes no excuses. She says: 'There are millions of books in the world. Twelve thousand is nothing. It's like having a pound of salt from the ocean.' So she will hold on to each and every one of them."
P
reach it, sister.