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I love books and I love used bookstores. I have an uncanny ability to find incredible copies of books for mere dollars. But even with all the books I bring home, I curate my book collection.
This year, we began running out of shelf space. Actually, we ran out of shelf space a while ago, so books are residing in random places around the house. It was time to make room!
Come along and declutter with me and learn how I curate my book collection.
How to declutter books
There are books all around our house. To declutter, I look at each shelf individually, book by book, and ask the questions found on this list here.
Here’s how I use these questions in the context of books:
Is it something I like or love?
This is the deciding question because if I didn’t enjoy a book and wouldn’t want to reread it, what is the point in keeping it? Before, I kept books because I thought they looked good on the shelf. Now, with limited space, I only keep the ones I 100% love.
If I went shopping today, would I buy it?
I remove books in my collection that I’ve never read and have no interest in reading.
Is it something I need and use often? Have I used it in the last year?
Any books no longer relevant to my life —typically reference, business, or self-help books —fall under this category.
Could I borrow it instead?
I used to buy every book I wanted to read. Now I borrow books from the library first to determine if they’re worth a purchase.
Can it be easily replaced?
Some books are out of print and some book editions are difficult to find. This is something else to consider before removing a book. (Unless it’s a book I absolutely loathe. Then it’s not worth my shelf space …looking at you The Scarlet Letter.)
Is it a duplicate or similar to something I already have?
Many people collect different editions of the same book (I’ve heard of many people doing this with A Christmas Carol.) When making decisions about these books, revert to the very first question: Is it something I like or love?
Would someone else use it better?
I’ll get into this in the next section. I love finding books at thrift stores, so I want to give that gift to someone else.
Is it broken?
I’ve owned some very battered books. Some I’ve replaced or had to throw out because pages were missing.
Can I digitize it?
Are there any books where the audiobook is preferred? This is the perfect way to own a digital book!
Is it sentimental?
I’ve decluttered many books from my childhood that I kept for sentimentality. As I decluttered, I asked myself WHY kept them —I wanted them for my daughter to read.
Now I’ve become pickier about what she reads, and I’ve determined these books are not worth the space. I want to give space to juicy and delightful books, not beginning reader series.
Can I return it?
It turns out I had at least one book that doesn’t belong to us that needs to go back to its owner. (I now own a book stamp and I have a journal to help me keep track of borrowed books.)
What to do with decluttered books
I know that many people sell their books but I love to donate them to used bookstores. I find so many treasures in these stores that I want to return the favor to someone else. Maybe I wasn’t friendly with a particular book but it could be a treasure to someone else.
My favorite place to shop for and donate used books is the Friends of the Library bookstore. You’ll find a list of locations to donate books in this post.
How I curate my book collection with standards
To be a curator is to intentionally select items for a collection, not merely collect for the sake of collecting. The books I bring home must be worthy of a shelf since I have limited space.
L.M. Montgomery wrote in Anne’s House of Dreams, “Our library isn’t extensive …but every book in it is a friend.” I use that as my motto for our home library.
When I go to used bookstores, I look for beautiful, readable editions of classic books. Usually, these are hardback books with or without their jackets. I buy books I know and love, but I also purchase classics I want to read.
I only buy picture books we’ve read before and love. There are a lot of poorly written children’s books, so I don’t want to stock up my shelves with anything subpar.
With children’s chapter books, I purchase classics we don’t own, opting for older editions when possible. I stay away from newer books unless I’ve read them or they’ve been recommended by someone I trust.
The beauty of buying used books is that they’re inexpensive. I’ve found spectacular brand-new children’s books for $0.50 in the used bookstore! So goes the old saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Declutter to keep a curated book collection
Every year, I declutter books as described earlier to keep our home library curated.
- Declutter using the ultimate list of decluttering questions (you can find a printable copy of it in the Where To Start Decluttering Mini-Guide.)
- Donate books to sources where you like to shop to return the favor to others.
- Curate your book collection with standards a book must meet before it’s worthy of coming home with you.
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