From the archive - When should you keep a book?
What does a reader do with too many physical books? 6 questions to ask
Readers by nature have a love affair with reading. For many, the printed word is the most compelling format. Thus, it is not a far reach that the readers love affair is equal parts with the act of reading and equal parts with physical books. Sadly, like rabbits, books have a tendency to multiply and can quickly fill all available space.
Whether it is moving to a new house or changing jobs to move into a new office, each time we have to load, carry, and unload a box of books, it forces the question of why books are worth keeping and which ones should stay/go.
To answer that, let’s consider the benefits of having books in a space.
Books convey a story. That story could be purely for entertainment purposes or it could be to share knowledge. But there is something within the text that is being shared with us that brings us pleasure.
Books serve as a kind of working memory. While I may not be able to remember everything within a text, having it close at hand, renders its lessons just a few steps away - a great cognitive salve.
Books can keep us humble. Nassim Taleb has highlighted the importance of an anti-library - or a collection of books that are owned but have not yet been read. Such a collection creates intellectual humility by physically showing how much more there is to learn.
Books offer an aesthetic. Regardless of the content, you may enjoy the physical look of a room or wall full of books.
While there are great benefits to having books present, there are costs as well. I mentioned the physical toll of moving books from place to place. Books can also represent a form of virtual clutter.
As Psychology Today notes, "clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli (visual, olfactory, tactile), causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren't necessary or important." Importantly, the article concludes, "Clutter in one's workspace constantly signals to the brain that one's work is never done." Too much clutter can make it hard to relax in a space.
So what books are worth keeping?
Here is a rubric I developed that I have found helpful:
Do I refer to the book often? Do I find the book's contents regularly at use in my day to day where having it close at hand would be valuable?
Do I re-read this book regularly? Just as Heraclitus noted that "no man steps into the same river twice," so too does a book land afresh as you evolve and change through time
Do I recommend this book often? Am I buying copies of this to give out or regularly telling people it is worth a read?
Does this book inspire me? Does it align with somewhere I want to go and having it on hand helps signal to me about the type of person I am becoming?
Did this book change my life? Is how I view the world or who I am different after reading this book?
Is there a sense of nostalgia around the book? Does the book remind me of a time / place that you want to remember?
After finishing a book, I would recommend letting the book sit for a couple of weeks before running it through this rubric. If it does not pass the test, then let the book go - even if you may need to borrow it from the library or buy it again in the future. There is great pleasure by having a library “full of greatest hits” that is of a manageable size.