What to do with my books.

[BookCat]

I've been thinking along similar lines. I have lots of classics, but prefer to read the MR formatted versions than the p-backs. Should I clear up the amazing clutter of books in my house, getting rid, somehow, of the out of copyright books? Or should I keep them in case my ereader kicks the bucket?

[jupstin]

That's a fascinating question. I suppose the e-reader could definitely die...I think I'd have to keep hard copies of my favorites. This actually sort of encourages me to buy the most awesome editions of my favorite books...hmm...eventually I'd get a new e-reader, but in the meantime I'd definitely need to be able to at least read SOMETHING.

[Rich_D]

Originally Posted by jupstin

That's a fascinating question. I suppose the e-reader could definitely die...I think I'd have to keep hard copies of my favorites. This actually sort of encourages me to buy the most awesome editions of my favorite books...hmm...eventually I'd get a new e-reader, but in the meantime I'd definitely need to be able to at least read SOMETHING.

Yeah, I could always fall back to my T/X or in a pinch my laptop, so I'm not concerned about something dying. I haven't pulled a book off my shelves for probably close to a year, so I might as well give them to someone who will get some use out of them.

[abookreader]

Originally Posted by BookCat

I've been thinking along similar lines. I have lots of classics, but prefer to read the MR formatted versions than the p-backs. Should I clear up the amazing clutter of books in my house, getting rid, somehow, of the out of copyright books? Or should I keep them in case my ereader kicks the bucket?

That's the main reason that every eBook I buy gets the DRM stripped and is backed up to my own personal storage system ... If I'm going to be spending $3 to $4 more per book now I'm certainly not all that psyched at the thought of repurchasing them in the future.

Especially in the current pricing war climate, I don't trust the Retailers or the Publishers to protect my right to have my books for the rest of my reading life. Look at what's going on with Fictionwise right now and all the sudden you can't re-download anything.

[Patricia]

I give my redundant treeware books to a homeless people's hostel, or to a local old people's home. Both are trying to set up libraries for their residents and are very pleased to receive donations.
The local mental hospital also has a library for patients' use, as does the local prison. They lo take books.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by Rich_D

I'll take my chances with the feds.

Unlike many on this board, I have no ethical qualms with pirating an e-book. If I can find an e-book at my library, I'll check it out that way, but if the author isn't one of my favorites, I'll pirate it before I buy it. If the author is one of my favorites, I'll buy it.

I've boxed them all up and will be taking them to the library tomorrow. A couple are signed by the author, so I've set them aside, maybe they can do something special with them.

So in your opinion, something's only wrong if you get caught? I do wish the schools would teach ethics any more, but I'll admit it's hard when so few adults seem to have them.

[Rich_D]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

So in your opinion, something's only wrong if you get caught? I do wish the schools would teach ethics any more, but I'll admit it's hard when so few adults seem to have them.

No, I accept that to some people's perspective, my downloading books from p2p sites is ethically wrong. I just disagree with that perspective.

In my opinion downloading a book is no different than checking it out from a library. If I like the author's work, I'll end up purchasing more of his work, including the title that I pirated. If I don't like it, I probably won't even finish the book and the title will shortly be deleted from my library.

I also don't believe it is ethically wrong to download a copy of a book that I already own in another format. I paid the price for the content, how I choose to view it is up to me.

[owlrigh]

It depends upon what you have in your personal library, I think. If you have mostly classics and romances you wouldn't have much in the way of resale value, not unless you have an old Judy Cuevas or something people are dying to get their hands on again.

If you know your particular likes in reading then you might be able to resell them again on the likes of Amazon Marketplace or ebay or something like that -- but then you'll have to deal with postage issues when people do buy them. On the other hand, this does mean that you'll be able to pad out your future ebook buying kitty.

e.g. at one point, many years ago, I used to go hit the library sales and pick up all the really old SF stuff which, yes, I did make some money on when I sold it years later. A box of books for $1! People do want old things

[emonti8384]

I sorted out the books I could give a sh*t less about and put them in a box with the intention to take them to the library. I have a few hardbacks that are quite new, and I'm sure they would end up on the shelves. Alas, to actually get to the library...it's taking me longer than I thought, lol. I held on to the books that I absolutely love-couldn't see myself parting with them even tho I purchased the ebook version of the exact same book. Being sentimental takes up space, lol.

[ImogenRose]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Just go over them on a book by book basis.

Keep the ones you may read again, have sentimental attachments to etc., and donate all the rest.

Also factor in if you'll be moving in the future. Few things suck more to move than heavy boxes of books.

[omk3]

I've been gradually clearing my shelves ever since I got my first ebook reader.

The first to go were the books I didn't much care about (they should have gone before, but the decision to switch to ebooks was an incentive to start the sorting).

Next I get rid of all my paper books for which I can find an electronic copy. All my paper books are donated to charity shops. I would never just throw them away, even books I didn't much like.

Some paper books I still want to keep, or I'm not sure, usually because of some obscure sentimental reason. Usually they are eventually given away too, with the next "shipment". My main problem is with languages: I have books in greek translation and can find electronic copies of them in english translation. Assuming none of those is the original language of the book, which one to keep? Haven't been able to answer this one yet. But getting back my space will probably win.

[Dr. Drib]

Well, when you're a book collector with some expensive books, then you don't put them in a box and dump them in the basement.

My F/F First American hardcover editions of J.M.G. LeClezio aren't going to be donated! [Hahahahahah!]

Go check the prices on his first 5 books in this condition. (I've got three of them.)

Of course, I could sell them and then use the $1,200-$2,000 to perhaps buy one rose for my wife, and then buy yet another ebook Reader for me [that's insane!]....or perhaps buy that McIntosh 252 amplifier that I've been lusting after (with a bit more cash, I might add) to mate up with my McIntosh 6300 Integrated Amp that I just bought. And then, just sit back and listen to the lush sounds of Miles Davis and Bill Evans.

Mmmmmmm......



Don

[Moejoe]

What you can't give away, donate or sell, shred. I have zero physical books now. All gone. It's great having my entire library on a tiny card no bigger than a thumbnail.

[omk3]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

What you can't give away, donate or sell, shred. I have zero physical books now. All gone. It's great having my entire library on a tiny card no bigger than a thumbnail.

So did you scan all your books that you couldn't find in electronic format? Because I'm sure not all your books had ebook versions. A lot of mine haven't, legal or otherwise.

And I have to ask: zero physical books, and apparently no reading device. You haven't stopped reading altogether, have you? (It's okay if you are only writing now!)

[Rich_D]

I have one set of books that aren't available as ebooks. I'm debating on going through the trouble to scan them myself. Right now I'm just holding out hope that the publisher will release them in ebooks.