I have loads of books in the electronic format, but I find I very rarely read them. I've the last two days looking at various eds. of XXX in my bookstore, even though I have about three translations lying around on my hard drive somewhere.
This is annoying.


I do it all the time:
a. I do not have enough space for all the books I have and read - and my number of physical, material books far exceeds 100.
b. I am not going to reread every book I buy. I find it pointless and cluttering, both mentally and physically, to keep things I do not want or need in my life.
c. I live on a very tight budget outside of my physical necessities, and books are expensive. My second-hand bookstore is very nice about paying me back partially for returns, which funds further buying.
d. Seriously, if I don't want to reread it five years from now, I'm not keeping it. Not for anything. I've given away Pratchetts that I don't like, and SF and fantasy that no one else I know owns.
e. I don't give to libraries for the earning-money-for-nothing-is-fun reason, except for two books I thought my library HAD to have because it was only right and proper.
f. I am material, material, material in every way.

I don't keep books I won't reread often, or won't lend to others because they simply must read it. I don't mind being materialistic, possessive, ownery, bogged down.

I lend, borrow from friends and the library, frequent two normal bookstores and one second hand bookstore fairly regularly. And I sell, and I give away if the copy is good enough and I want a friend to have it.

I will agree that the moving of books is a huge pain. HUGE. I do not know quite how I will manage it when I am older and have a paying job and live in a different city.


It seems sort of self-explanatory to me. Most sensible course of action, given your way of thinking and feeling. And you don't need to justify why books given to the library might be a good idea. It is a good idea, and it is good karma. All by itself, no matter who does it. (So long as s/he does it to hir own books and not someone else's. Because that can be shitty.)