Purging Books

[drplokta]

We're going to have a major purge on the books, which are taking up a lot of space, especially given that 80% of our reading these days is ebooks.

So I'm drawing up a checklist of reasons to keep books, with the idea being that a book that checks none of the boxes will go. Here's what I've got so far -- anyone got any other reasons for keeping books?

• flickgc or I will probably want to (re-)read it some time
  
• flickgc or I might want to (re-)read it some time, and it would be hard to repurchase/get an electronic version
  
• The book is rare or valuable
  
• The book is an attractive or interesting object in its own right
  
• The book has sentimental value, or has a story attached to it
  
• flickgc or I might want to lend it to someone else
  
• It's a reference book
  
• It's currently wedged under a piece of furniture to stop it wobbling

(According to the catalogue, we currently have 4,229 books. And I reckon the space each book occupies costs around £20 at current London property prices.)

ETA: The library is online here.

Comments

[redbird]

I'd say non-reference nonfiction falls under the same headings of "may want to reread sometime" and "might want to lend it to someone" as fiction. Those aren't flagged as specific to fiction, nor even to prose. (If you never want to reread or lend out nonfiction, the only reasons to keep it would be as reference or for sentimental value, but if that's true, for you or for them, I don't see a flaw in the classification system.)