I love the look and feel of books too much to get a digital reading device, but here’s the problem: I’m fast running out of shelf space for future reads. So how do I keep the books I don’t want to keep, out of the world’s landfills? They go to four places:

[*] My workplace lending library
[*] I give them as gifts, if they're not spilled-upon or dog-eared
[*] Anywhere they're wanted; I donate them to non-profit groups
[*] I leave them for future guests at vacation hotels

What about you – what happens to your used books?

I totally agree with you about the digital devices. My thing is not only do I love to see the physical book, but sometimes will actually buy a book because of how it smells. There is nothing like that smell in the world. But I, like you, have a space issue. So this is what I do....
1) I always let family and friends go through my stash first
2) I take them to the used book store in town that gives store credit, yep for more books
3) Donate to local library
4) Take them to work for co-workers

KrisD

I either give mine to friends or put them in a garage sale. Frankly, there are very few that find new homes ... my roommate and I are both avid readers (you name it one of both of us will read it!) so we have TONS of books. We circulate them and I am making an inventory so that we'll know which box the book we're looking for is in ... plus it helps keep us from buying two of the same book!! (yes, I have even bought 3 of the same book LOL).

I pass on my books on a regular basis because I like them to flow through this world, increasing knowledge and joy. So I give them away to individuals, libraries, schools and teachers.

I have an incoming stream of books and only keep a few bookshelves full.

I completely agree about the feel and smell of books. That being said, I LOVE my ereader. When I finish a book I've borrowed from the library I enjoy deleting it from my reader without having to make room for it on a shelf. I'm not getting any younger, know I will have to move at least once more and books are HEAVY to move. Now I only buy a real book when it is unavailable electronically. I love the books on my shelf, it's very difficult to part with the ones I still have, and I refer back to them a lot, but I could end up on "Hoarders" if I had all the books I love in physical form.

KrisD - I, too, love the way books smell! Thanks for mentioning that

I pass books along to friends or family sometimes but I also drop them into the 'return' slot at my local public library. That way, they can catalog them and put them on their shelves or sell them at their fundraisers.

When I visit friends in the hospital, I often drop them off in a waiting room. I've read many a good book in a hospital waiting room so it's nice to give back that way.

I also donate them to non-profit charities who will resell them.

I'm committed to real books, though I feel a little left out of the excitement of the nooks and kindles. I sometimes gloss over a minor character's name... flipping back through pages to pick up a detail I missed would be harder with an ereader - I usually can picture whether it was on a right side or left side page, which makes it easier to find.

When they absolutely MUST move out, and everyone around me has read them - I donate my books to libraries for their fundraising book sales. Once I participated in a book adventure at Bookcrossing - a website where people leave a book somewhere and it's picked up and tracked via the website. They also share and trade books there, I think... it's been awhile.

These are some wonderful ideas! I usually sell my used books back to the used book store so I can buy more or sell them on Amazon through their book buying program.

I have a kindle now and really like it, mostly because all the books I'm currently reading are in one place.

Yes, thanks for all your ideas, everyone!

Sandy, giving your books to the hospital is an excellent idea. Joan, reselling for Amazon sounds great too — does this work only in the States?

Sara, I have three copies each of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Handmaid's Tale, and duplicate copies of some Shakespeares and Agatha Christies An inventory is a brilliant idea.

Amy, I can also find things I've read by visualizing which side of the book it's on, and whether it's at the top, middle or bottom of that page. I registered at Bookcrossing a couple of years ago, but it doesn't seem have caught on; I haven't been back on the site in ages.

As I wrote in my last newsletter, a couple of my students were in Ghana this summer working at an orphanage and donating used books collected from our school community. I really like this idea — sharing knowledge and joy, as you said, Lori.

Lane selling books through Amazon can be done in the UK too - you have to set yourself up as a seller.

When I moved house recently I had a goodbye party. I put all the books I was willing to let go of on 2 bookshelves - different rooms so it gave people more space for looking at the books - and invited anyone who came to the party to take any books they wanted. This worked really well and meant that a lot of the books went to people I knew would really use and appreciate them.