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Today I accompanied my lovely wife to the University Library to get an extraordinarily large stack of books on furniture. Lately this is what passes for a date, but I’m not complaining. San Jose boasts the luxurious 8 story Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. library, a collaboration between the City of San Jose and the San Jose State University. Spending the day there is a little like going to book heaven.
I love books – I mean, it’s been a serious addiction in times past. Many were the days when an Amazon shipment would arrive at my house from the big brown UPS truck, so I could read a book in a weekend and sometimes learn what I was looking for. But now, mainly for “minimalizing” my life, I’m breaking the addiction with a 12 Step program of book reduction.
1. Do more research online. Free research is great but why not pay for some deeper wisdom from those dedicating their lives to bring it to you? Try a monthly subscription to an online forum, or ezine like this site for Home Brewing. Or the awesome Herb Mentor online video library (currently being remodeled). Yes, you may have to pay a couple of bucks to get access to forums and whatnot, but one book a month would have run you $5-$25 anyway.
2. Go to a class. Nearly everywhere has places to learn from a human who has done it before. In the South Bay area, we have Common Ground Garden Supply and Education that runs classes like this. You may still buy a book, but perhaps you’ll buy one, very useful handbook, instead of trying to learn on your own with 4 or 5 books. BTW – also great for date time.
3. The obvious answer, buy ebooks! Some specialty authors don’t have their ebooks available through an ebook distribution system but make them available for download on a website. Our friends at Permaculture UK pointed us to Green Shopping, where they’ve been running a 3 for 2 sale on permaculture ebooks for a long time.
TIP: If you buy ebooks directly, rather than through a system that will forever archive them, and you’re tired of losing the ebooks when your PC crashes, save them to an online storage location like DropBox. If you have an Amazon account, you get 5GB online storage for free, probably forever. Put your rogue ebooks there so they’re not lost and you can access them from anywhere.
4. Borrow books from friends and neighbors. Eeks, I know that means you’d have to actually talk to your neighbors, but you may be amazed how many other backyard gardeners there are near you. And all those friends with common interests may already have what you’re looking for. You’ll never know until you ask. Loan out your spares, especially the one’s you are not worried about losing.
But wait, you say. I want to support the new economy! I want to reward writers and publishers who are taking risks investing in fringe topics like urban sustainability. Don’t I need to buy their books to support them? Good question.
5. “New media” really need to be encouraged to offer their material electronically. If they are not, send them a note, use ALL CAPS.
6. Many independent authors allow you to donate directly on their site through Paypal or some other system. That’s a great way to support them directly; do it! It’s also some nice moral support for an author to see even a small donation come in, because it means they’ve connected, their work has value, they have touched the life of another.
7. Go to workshops and seminars of the folks who write the books you love when you’re privileged to have them working or presenting in your area, also tradeshows, user groups, and big events like Maker Faire. I had a splendiferous day with my son at Maker Faire and we can’t wait to go next year.
Well what the heck do I do with all the books I have? I know what you mean. After doing a deep, book cleanse, I still have shelves and shelves of the darn things.
8. Some you should just save, because you never know what might happen. Remember Fahrenheit 451?
9. Donate your books. Books can have a new life or provide funding for charities like Goodwill. Most local libraries will take books in good condition. Specialty books will be loved by clubs, churches, youth groups like Civil Air Patrol – if it was once useful to you then pass it on. The library we went to today takes used books, as well as our local San Jose Public Library system.
10 . When all else fails, offer them on Craigslist, Freecycle, garage sale, or give them to a neighbor for their garage sale. “Really good books” can be used for White Elephant gifts.
11. I started a “Free Books” area in our break room at work. I bring in only “work appropriate” books, use your best judgement for your company. I was shocked that just about any book I couldn’t get rid of through some other means was snapped up like candy when I left them in the break room with a “Free” sign. I’ve never seen anyone take the books – you have to walk away for it to happen.
12. Sell them on eBay, or take them to a used book store for cash or credit. Half Price Books is a great resource if you have one near you, and I wish they were here in California by me. I’ve wondered how many times the same book has been recycled through a re-use company like that.
Books that brought you great pleasure, wisdom, or DIY know how can do the same for another person, and another, and another. Imagine the secret life of books when you release them from their dusty shelves, boxes and storage areas to live again, delighting another soul with their timeless adages and anecdotes. Make sure to add your name to the inside cover, and draw an underline for the next recipient to write their name, and the next, and the next.
Fly free my pretties!
Good stuff. I also try to do as much Eeading as possible. But you have to admit that there is something almost romantic about holding an old fashioned book made of mulched wood pulp in your hands and physically turning the pages.
There is a book by Michael Pollan that I have read 3x on my iPad, listened to the audiobook, and every podcast the guy has been a guest on. But, every time my lovely wife and I go on a date to the bookstore (quite frequently also) I find myself wanting to purchase the hard copy. Not sure what it is.
I can say, that moving as frequently as I do using a commercial carrier, the majority of the expense is the result of our book collection. Heaviest item group by far. Except for perhaps my closet love of collecting bricks of lead. Lead is the new gold. Secure your wealth and fortune now in pure lead!
Now I’m really curious which Michael Pollan book you’re talking about.
Bookstores are my nemesis. I can nary escape without a cappuccino, a recycled-braided-polystrand bookmark, some kind of refrigerator magnet, and a big stack of books.
I’m really liking the library where the books are not quite new, but you can take what you want, and for three weeks hold them and read them. It’s like the methadone clinic for book addicts.
“Lead is the new gold” seems to explain the current state of the economy, thanks for the tip. But somehow I was feeling like I’d already secured a fortune in lead. We call them, “dollars.”
In Defense of Food: An eaters Manifesto.
Great book outlining the history of “Nutritionism” in America, and how and why the American people have been led down a path of heart disease, obesity, and Diabetes.
In my recent journey for a healthier body, I have become somewhat enchanted by writers who are challenging the current nutritional belief system, and disenchanted with a medical and public health system that doesn’t seem to know what they are talking about.
-D
totally agree. we have had to learn this on our own when the mainstream medical stuff failed us on several serious occasions. glad we did though – it’s been quite an experience.
i’ll add “in defense of food” to my reading list. my EREADING list.
I think we both have the same addiction! I love books too, but my partner threw her hands up at all the cookbooks/books in the house. So we sold some back (not the cookbooks, though), and brought some to Goodwill.
I mostly use the library now. I have two library cards. One for my town and one for Berkeley. Also, I make use of the library’s LINK service where they can get books from a lot of other libraries in California.
I don’t know if I can use a Kindle, though. There’s just something so satisfying about curling up with a book and turning the pages!
I just found out about LINK. Cool stuff.
We go back and forth on the cook books too.
Me: “How about getting rid of some cookbooks?”
Lynn: “Ok how about getting rid of your Homebrew Bible?”
Me: “That’s ok, you win! Keep the cookbooks.”
It’s all about priorities.
This is such a great article Brad! Like you I love books, and their feel and especially their smell. (And yes, of course I have a (battered, much-loved) copy of Fahrenheit 451).
But your article gives such great suggestions, I really appreciate your time in putting this together.
I also enjoyed your suggestion of writing (in CAPS) to encourage authors to offer their work electronically. And that was a great tip, to use Amazon’s free storage option.
When I moved continent (again) last year, I had to say goodbye to many of my books. It was heart-wrenching. But, I have to admit I’m greatly enjoying a simplified, less cluttered life. And I truly appreciate the books which have travelled with me.
Thanks again for a great post!
Clare / EcoExpert
EcoExpert recycling tips you want to know
CLARE!!!!!!!! HELLO!!!!!!!!!!
Wow it feels like it’s been a jillion years. Thanks for the comment and I hope you are making progress greening your island – looks like lots of new articles on your blog too!
Brad
How funny, I also have the same addiction, have been trying to curb it since we sold out family home and I got rid of hundreds of nice books. Our house is still full of books, but now we are more careful what even comes into the house. I was given a Kindle and like reading books on that, though I must admit I will never get over my love of holding/smelling, seeing a real book.
There is a on the street library in Frankfurt we like to take our books to, it is a glass cabinet that has stood on a very busy street. It is free for anyone to take a book and also to drop them off, such an amazing system. Been there for years and not been vandalised, there are even a few chairs that have found there way there and they also stay put!
😉
btw – the street library with the chairs sounds really cool.