How to let go of books

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 8 of 13, SS23 *
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The world is full of enticements to buy books – but not nearly enough prompts to relinquish them. If you're a lover of the printed word like I am, it's easy to find yourself with more than shelves will hold and at a loss for how to solve this hardly unhappy conundrum.

I've discovered a method that works for me, and might for you as well. Instead of focusing on my own satisfaction in holding onto a particular title, I imagine the potential delight of the person who'll discover it next. With that in mind, I look for a location to make that rendezvous happen.

You might have a Little Free Library nearby as a handy drop-off point. If not, there are lots of other places you can use. I recently parted ways with Oliver Sacks in my building's laundry room:

Jenny Odell and I bid a reluctant farewell in my favourite neighbourhood coffee shop:

Years ago, I said goodbye to Armistead Maupin at the end of a dock in Sausalito.

The beauty of using a familiar spot is that when you return to find the book gone, you can picture an encounter between a soul you know well and one you don't. Who knows what magic that meeting could lead to?

Passing a title along to a friend or acquaintance is another option, with a chance to find out what happens next. Just yesterday, I said "so long" to John Updike in my workplace, with a colleague the beneficiary:

Once he's through the four Rabbit novels, I'm sure to hear an echo of the pleasure I felt reading them. I can't wait to compare our reactions.

On rare occasions, the reaction is immediate. Last weekend I brought four art books down to a concrete platform in my building's parking lot, knowing that they'd be snapped up quickly. Sure enough, on my next trip down, a scruffy guy with his bike parked nearby was already clutching them happily.

Sometimes, even though it's time to split up, delay is inevitable. In those cases, I have a corner in my entryway right beside the front door that I call the Goodbye Zone. That's where I put books that I've made up my mind will go... eventually.

The intermediate space gives me a chance to emotionally detach, even entertain changing my mind, though that rarely happens. It's a gentler way of letting go.

From the archives

Looking for further ideas? Check out More tips on letting go in a back issue from last October.

Need help displaying the books you're keeping? Have a look at Reveal: micro-decorating move #5 and In praise of side table books.

Thank you for reading.