Get Rid of Those Books You No Longer Need (to Make Room for More)
Trying to shrink our collection of books can hide our true reading habits from us. Sure, this 600-page history book has gone through a few steps without a cursory glimpse of the first chapter – but how dare you suggest getting rid of it?
I would never. But unless you live in a castle with unlimited bookshelves, it is impossible to keep all the books and buy new ones. Instead of thinking about what you might read someday, think about whether you can get more out of the book. Do you really refer to it quite regularly? If so, it might be worth holding. But if you’ve got everything you can reasonably expect from a book, it’s time to let go. These four genres are likely to outlive their usefulness, making them the perfect place to start on any bookshelf cleaning project.
Handicraft and hobby books
When you’re just starting a new project or hobby, how-to guides can be valuable resources, but as you inevitably outgrow their advice or gradually abandon the hobby, these books will be relegated to the background. It’s not hard to ditch these books if you can actually find them. Be sure to look into the darkest and darkest corners of your book collection so you don’t miss a thing.
Travel guides from old trips
Another genre of books that’s easy to part with: travel guides to places you’ve been to. Even if you plan to return someday, a book that was quite relevant before the coronavirus pandemic is now officially useless. If you don’t want to keep them as souvenirs, it’s best to recycle old guidebooks or sell them to a collector on eBay.
Unused cookbooks
If you cook a lot, you have undoubtedly received many cookbooks over the years from people who don’t quite understand your taste. Just because you don’t use a cookbook doesn’t mean that no one else will , so leave them free. You can donate to a library or thrift store, but cookbooks usually sell pretty well, which means sellers of used books tend to buy them back, especially if they’re in the same condition as new. Take a stack of books to your local bookstore and turn them into store credit to fund future purchases.
Outdated reference materials
Finally, get rid of old tutorials, style guides, technical guides, and other reference material that you simply no longer use. They take up a lot of space and offer nothing in return – why keep them? Just because you’ve stored these college textbooks for two decades doesn’t mean you need to keep them for another two decades.
Keep in mind that truly outdated books are not worth reselling or donating, even if they were expensive when you bought them. In this situation, recycling is probably your best bet. Paperbacks are usually accepted with mixed paper recycling, but hardbacks require little additional preparation. Check with your local recycling service to see what they recommend, and if you get stuck, feel free to ask the librarian. They throw books away all the time, which means they do exactly the way they do in your area and will be happy to help you.