Recently, my wife and I presented at a Simplicity/Decluttering Workshop. We were excited to have 100+ people from every stage of life show up for our 90-minute conversation. It was wonderful in every regard. Special thanks to Journey Church in Gretna, NE for being our hosts. If you are interested in doing the same, you can find more information here.
As part of the workshop, Kim and I wanted to offer practical help in common problem areas (clothes, sentimental items, kids’ stuff, and books). And as part of the preparation, I asked Twitter for some help in addressing the specific topic of decluttering books.
I asked a simple question, “Have you significantly decluttered your book collection? If so, what was the most important step or decision you made in the process?”
Responses began flooding in almost immediately (they are, after all, a pretty sharp crew). The answers I received were experienced, helpful, and taken as a whole, quite comprehensive. In fact, the responses were so good, I decided to organize them and pass them on to a larger audience.
So then, if your book collection has become too cluttered, you’ll find help here. If you ever feel burdened by your books, you’ll find inspiration. Or if you are just looking to create some extra space in your home or office, you’ll find plenty of practical steps here to help you unclutter your book collection and finding more space in your home and life.
12 Helpful, Practical Steps to Decluttering Books
1. Decide to do it.
After all, just like everything else, it always starts with the decision to get started.
@joshua_becker Most important: deciding to do it. Here's my story: http://t.co/0KB1CmV72u
— heather andrews (@wildsheepchase) November 11, 2013
2. Realize books do not define you.
Books add value. They contribute to who you are. But they do not define who you are.
class=”twitter-tweet”>
@joshua_becker also accepting that the books on my shelf (or lack of) don’t define me as a person.
— Hannah (@becomewhour) November 10, 2013
class=”twitter-tweet”>@joshua_becker Realizing my book collection did not define me as a person. Also admitting I was prob. not going to read most of them again.
— MicheleStitches (@MicheleStitches) November 10, 2013
3. Remove scarcity thinking.
class=”twitter-tweet”>
@joshua_becker letting go of the “what if I need this in the future?” scarcity mindset– i.e. self-trust! Over 200 books sold/gone so far.
— Hannah (@becomewhour) November 10, 2013
4. Determine to make room for the new.
An optimistic point of view is advantageous in every endeavor.
class=”twitter-tweet”>
@joshua_becker Removing books I’ve already read, makes room for books I have yet to read!
— Brian Knoblauch (@GLMotorSports) November 11, 2013
class=”twitter-tweet”>@joshua_becker My goal is to keep reading and learning, so I would usually choose new books anyway. — Jessica S. (@jessicaschreyer) November 11, 2013
5. Go digital.
The free Amazon Kindle App is available for almost every electronic device. There is no need to own an actual Kindle to use it.
Switching to kindle RT @joshua_becker: Have you significantly reduced/… your book collection? If so, what was the most important step..
— Foreign Geek (@ForeignGeek) November 12, 2013
class=”twitter-tweet”>
@joshua_becker Anything available on Kindle went. I only kept OOP or coffee table books.— Tina Lender (@TinaLender) November 10, 2013
6. Give yourself permission to keep your favorites.
Less is different than none. Identify your favorite books and keep them close. Find freedom in knowing all decisions are coming from you and nobody is forcing them on you.
class=”twitter-tweet”>
@joshua_becker went from ~400 to 80 or so. Picked absolute favs to keep 1st. Let go of anything I owned for at least a year but never read.
— Adam Bouse (@adambouse) November 11, 2013
7. Set up reasonable boundaries for your collection.
Boundaries help us quickly delineate the “most important” from the “somewhat important.” They are helpful in countless other pursuits—use them to your advantage. Choose one and give it a try. You can always adjust later.
class=”twitter-tweet”> @joshua_becker I read a lot – iPad and hard copy – but keep very few. I have one bookcase and give away the rest. pic.twitter.com/8qs0ylhSPY — Sarah Labelle (@labelle_sarah) November 10, 2013
8. Remove unused or outdated reference books.
While the Internet may never entirely replace reference books for your line of work or personal preference, it can almost certainly prove to be an efficient replacement for many of your reference books (starting with a dictionary and thesaurus).
class=”twitter-tweet”> @joshua_becker (1) Will I read this again? (2) If it’s a reference book, do I actually use it or just go online? — Christy King (@SimpleWhiteRab) November 10, 2013
class=”twitter-tweet” data-conversation=”none” lang=”en”>@joshua_becker I ask how often I reference each book, how much info it contains, and if the book/info is available at the library/online. — Roman (@RomanAngeloS) November 12, 2013
class=”twitter-tweet”> @joshua_becker just 2 shelves left. My deciding factor: had I re-read/referred back in the last year or thought I would in the year to come — Thaddaeus Moody (@Thaddaeus_Moody) November 11, 2013
9. Remind yourself books are not the memory.
class=”twitter-tweet”>
@joshua_becker Deciding to give away all the novels I read. “The book itself is not the memory.”— Ezzentie (@Ezzentie) November 11, 2013
10. Give away books you do not intend to read again.
This step was, by far, the most common response to the question.
class=”twitter-tweet”>
@joshua_becker yes. 1) made list of books to give away. 2) posted list on FB & Twitter. 3) Gave them away.
— Andrew Tatum (@andrewtatum) November 10, 2013
class=”twitter-tweet”>@joshua_becker I had to make peace with the idea that I don’t really read books more than once anymore. After that it was easy to pare down.
— Adie Lashley (@adielashley) November 10, 2013
11. Think of forwarding good books as an act of love.
I really do love this mindset and hope people find it helpful.
class=”twitter-tweet”>
@joshua_becker Keeping a book that I didn’t cherish or regularly pick up & re-read meant I was keeping it from someone else. Share the love!
— Maggie Olson (@maggiebolson) November 11, 2013
12. If all else fails, choose to lend them out.
A proper bookkeeping system will be helpful if you are ever in the need to find the book again.
class=”twitter-tweet”>@joshua_becker I read it, then I lend or give it away.
— Rodrigo Afonseca (@rodrigoafonseca) November 11, 2013
For further reading, I recommend Breaking The Sentimental Attachment To Books.
And in closing, are there any important steps or decisions you would like to add that others might find helpful when decluttering their book collection?
Lin Young says
Once you have decided which books to let go of, donate them to a charity shop. I work at Save the Children, and our bookshelves are like a revolving door, as people tend to return them for re sale once read. Everyone wins.
Christy King says
I donate mine to the local library. Some they keep for library shelves; the others are sold to help fund library programs.
christa says
I love books, and have all those that I’ve read listed on http://www.paperbackswap.com to swap. That way I give someone else my books and get new to me books. There are some I still end up buying, but as soon as I read them they are listed to swap.
Lee @ The Value Geek says
So excited about that website. Going to be getting rid of all the books I read now on that site for others to read!
Ken Co says
I had always enjoyed looking over my collection as a way to remind myself of how much I had read, and the enjoyment I received from them. What really helped me part with the physical books was to establish an account at “GoodReads.com” where I listed out all my books, past/currently reading/future reads. I now have the same satisfaction looking at my on-line book list (which includes cover art, reviews, 1-5 stars, date read, etc.), and it also is a good place to keep my list of books to read in the future.
joshua becker says
Nice. Thanks Ken.
Donna says
Mr. Becker, I just recently found your blog, and purchased your book “Simplify.” Prior to that, though, my family learned we were losing our home — a home housing 30 years of marriage and child-rearing accumulation. I made the decision to “downsize,” “purge,” and “SIMPLIFY” at that moment. I must admit, I immediately wrestled with the horror of what to do with my extensive book collection, telling myself it would be okay to reduce everything EXCEPT the books. This blog entry is quite timely, and has encouraged me to include the books in our endeavor to unencumber our lives. I have always said, “the more you have — the more you have to maintain!” But have never done a thing about it; rather, becoming quite the complainer about all that I “have to maintain.” Now is the time. This will be a “restart” for us, but I already feel liberated in anticipation of the task before me. Thank you for sharing your own experience and guiding others to Minimalism, whatever that looks like for them. I’m sure this will be an evolving journey for my family.
joshua becker says
Thanks for sharing your story with us Donna. The first step is always a decision to begin or “Be Convinced” as I write in the book. Sorry to hear about your home, I’m sure it is difficult. But those who approach it from the right perspective, find great freedom in owning less. I hear from many people who regretted being forced into a simpler lifestyle, but discovered a new joy after looking at the situation differently. And please, call me Joshua.
Queen Mary says
Oh Donna, I’m so excited to hear about your endeavor, would love to hear more! My husband and I have maintained a “live simply so others may simply live” lifestyle through our 34 years and still find ourselves with plenty to downsize and purge — I’ve read we are at the age when the brain naturally unfeathers the nest in preparation for the next stages of life. If you see this…. there don’t seem to be that many of us “crones” commenting! I’ll be watching for you!
Karen @ Journey towards simplicity says
Thanks for another great post. I have reduced my books significantly but still a few I hold but not sure I have a good reason. Classics of Jane Austen, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the Harry Potter Series- these I think I will read again… but I need to re-think things :)
Eva says
The very best trick my mom taught me about de-cluttering was to put give-aways in a box and put the box away. In a few days or a week, I come across the box and look through the contents. If I missed the items, or if I see them in the give-away box and realize I just can’t part with them, then they go back on the shelf. But most of the time, most of the items truly are ready to go – or they end up going in my next clean-out wave. It’s a really good way to gently let go of things and be really sure you’re done with them.
joshua becker says
We did this on several occasions while simplifying our home (especially kitchen stuff), it worked great.
DJ says
May I add one?? I started decluttering my book collection when I found out about this group: http://www.littlefreelibrary.org. I sent my husband to the hardware store and he built me a library! There are now 6 in my city and I’m excited to see them pop up all over. Maybe you all could consider one!
joshua becker says
Too fun. Thanks for the tip. I had not heard of that before.
Bituin says
What a great suggestion, DJ! I’m now interested in putting up one here in Manila :)
ZenPumpkin says
Oops! I read the text only version and didn’t see at first that someone already suggested the 1+ year rule. So I’ll give another one instead – imagine you are in Fahrenheit 451 and are responsible for memorizing one book in order to preserve it (or Book of Eli if you haven’t read that one). Which book is so important to you that you think it would deserve to be preserved if you could only choose one? Then do this with the remaining books until you get to the ones you don’t find as valuable.
Queen Mary says
Dear Zen. Too utilitarian for me. Reading for me is a joy, a love, an escape to another world, another experience. I love Joshua’s blog and the bit of Joshua he shares here — but I feel like such an old person here! I can assure you, I have kept books much longer than a year and re-read them! Hemingway, the Koran, the Peculiar Institution come promptly to mind. I am able to recognize books I won’t read again however, and those I send to the library, a used book store, or a charity. We all have our vices, I’m afraid books may be one of mine! Love to you Zen! Wonderful reading your ideas, and I confess, I have not read Fahrenheit 451! :) My husband is the scifi guy in the house! XOXO Mary
ZenPumpkin says
If you have books that you bought but have had for 1 year+ and haven’t read, you’re not going to read them. If you haven’t had time to read it (aka cared enough about it/ were interested in it enough to prioritize it) in a year, in all likelihood you won’t. If you’re worried about being able to access it later, call the library and see if they have it.
Christy King says
Maybe – when I culled through all my books and found some I hadn’t read, it was just because I’d forgotten I had them. Put them in a pile to read and they have now almost all been read (and then given away). So this one probably depends on your personality.
ZenPumpkin says
That’s a good point, if you need to declutter then that means you have too much, so especially if you’re an out of sight out of mind person you could forget stuff.
joshua becker says
Thanks for the interaction you two. It’s a helpful reminder that what works for one person might not work for another. But it’s also a helpful reminder to be getting our thoughts out into the world where others can benefit from them.
Linda Gillespie says
Instead of calling the library to see if they have it, look online in the library catalog. It’s much easier.
Karen @ Pieces of Contentment says
That’s a great list of ideas. Forwarding to a bibliophile in my life….
joshua becker says
I agree. They came up with some really comprehensive thoughts on the topic.