Have Ereaders Affected Your Book Collection?

[NickyWithNook]

I put "number of books has decreased a lot." I mainly just have cookbooks and reference books left, but I didn't hold onto most fiction before anyway. I was big on reading a book and then giving it to someone.

[Bertolt]

As I am English and live in Spain, it was difficult for me to get the books I wanted before the advent of the ereader. Now the world is my oyster. I had a very large collection of paper books at one time but was already trying to rationalise/get rid before I even thought of buying an ereader. The more paper books you have, the more difficult it is to find the one you want and to be honest I never read a book twice nowadays, so why let them clutter up my life? I get recipes online from the BBC and Channel4 websites mainly. I travel a lot too, so I can carry my whole library with me in my hand luggage.

[xg4bx]

My new year's resolution was to go mainly ereader going forward. I'll still buy print copies of series that I'm already collecting but any new stuff I'll buy in ebook. I plan on knocking down my print collection when the next library sale donation time rolls around.

[Bertolt]

I voted in the wrong category, simply because ebooks are books, they are "actual books". They are just books.
Is music made out of paper? Of course not but it can be written down on paper. Similarly a book is not made out of paper. There is no difference between a book written on paper and a book I think up in my head and never commit to paper.
I found the poll was conceived in a confused way.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Bertolt

I voted in the wrong category, simply because ebooks are books, they are "actual books". They are just books.
Is music made out of paper? Of course not but it can be written down on paper. Similarly a book is not made out of paper. There is no difference between a book written on paper and a book I think up in my head and never commit to paper.
I found the poll was conceived in a confused way.

Exactly. I didn't vote in the poll because of this.

Shari

[crossi]

I went from 29 boxes and 4 bookshelves of books to less than 10 boxes and 1 bookshelf. I'm replacing all my fiction and some nonfiction keepers with ebooks as they become available as long as the price is reasonable for a replacement. I'm not buying any new paper books at all. I love how much less cluttered my home is now.

[Tarana]

How has ebooks affected your physical book collection?

Other than the grammatical error, how could this be confused? Just want to know for any future polls. As mentioned in my comments, this was my first poll.

[Solicitous]

I voted "did not get rid of anything". When I got my first ereader the wife thought it was another toy and that I didn't need it. Come the K3 a year later and she kept it when it arrived. Now 95% of the books we buy are ebooks. I now get a dirty look when I buy a pbook as "they take up space". We have removed all but one book case in the house (only used to keep the big books, such as reference material). All other pbooks have been boxed. At some point when I go through them and take not of the titles I will then give them to charity.

[Katsunami]

To be honest, I've only started reading books "for me" in 1999. Before that, I had to read books for high school, which in later years came down to reading 25 in English and 25 in Dutch, totalling 50 books a year on top of normal lessons. That was quite enough.

Then, in the beginning of 1999, I started reading fantasy in Dutch and playing RPG's in earnest after being introduced to Baldur's Gate. (Fantasy was not allowed for school reading: we had to read "literature only". Even LotR was out.) I read in Dutch up until 2005, mainly out of habit and because people gave me books in Dutch as presents. Then, a Dutch publisher decided to not translate the next book in a series I was reading.

Instantly I started selling off my Dutch books, and rebought each sold book in English, re-reading my entire library in the process. I didn't read too much new stuff. I tried e-books in the end of 2007, beginning of 2008, but abandoned them due to lack of content, but I kept an eye on the market. When the KTouch came around, I seriously started looking into e-books, Calibre and de-DRM-ing again, and bought a Touch.

Since then I've upgraded to the KPW, I haven't bought a single paper book, and replaced my entire library (almost) with e-books thanks to Kobo coupons; I'm now preparing to sell off all my English pbooks.

The only paper books I plan to buy are the "Realms of..." series in the Forgotten Realms, simply because they are not (yet) available as an e-book. Maybe I'll start a collection of hardcovers for my absolute favourites, but I don't know that yet. Oh, and reference books will always be in paper, at least for now. I don't find e-readers or tablets a good alternative yet.

So yes, e-books have changed my book buying habits and my book collection extensively.

[Marcy]

I've tried to replace my entire library with ebooks to regain space. I still have a bunch of books that haven't been released in ebook format yet, and some long-term favorites that I'm keeping as pbooks in case of the zombie apocalypse but other than that I've gotten rid of everything.

[dublincheri]

Once I get round to clearing the attic I think a lot more will go. Right now there are two bookcases, only one of which is mine, and it has mostly software manuals and craft books. As I haven't gone looking for anything from the boxes I think most of it could go.

What I am replacing - when available - are the books I had to let go twenty years ago.

[pwalker8]

I donate physical books to libraries as I get a replacement ebook copy. The only exception to that is collectors books, some reference books and books that have certain graphics that don't translate well to ebooks (maps and the like). I haven't actually purchased a physical book in several years.

[Crowl]

I voted stayed the same, I haven't been buying any, but I do not want to just throw them out and that seems to be about the only option that isn't overly time-consuming for me as all my books are in english while I am living in germany.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by sabredog

Due to my recent change of status back to being single, I have converted the back bedroom into a library. The lounge on the left is a fold out bed type.

All my remaining book cases and smaller books are in this room now, with only my reference books and coffee table books remaining in other locations. I only purchased two paperback books last year.

I enjoy taking a cup of tea and my ereader into my "library" to have a half hour or so of relaxing reading.

We'll also have a lounge (aka library) once we finally finish our house... I wouldn't be able to get rid of my books! I just cannot get myself to sell them or give them away...

It won't grow as fast as it used to, though...

[Tarana]

As everybody can see, over 50% of poll respondees have reduced their physical books since getting their ereaders. I would still continue to get paperbacks at garage sales for my Mom (hey, 25c-50c is still cheaper than an ebook and her vision is fine), but she is enjoying the additional space she garnered by getting rid of lots of paperbacks that she did not want to reread. The Senior center is happy to take whatever we don't want.

Crowl - I understand that you do not want to just throw out books. Can I suggest that you look for a hostel or other place that is frequented by American tourists? Perhaps there is a used bookstore in the area that would be happy to have english books? Perhaps even contact your library and find out if they would like to offer them for free to patrons - I have no doubt there are more english speakers in your area, just like there are german speakers in my area.

edited to fix mistype