Today was Mother's Day. My husband was gone all day, feeding the masses. My children were enjoying having some time to watch movies, play games, and read books. I did a bit of light housework and then I walked into my library. There was dust. There were cobwebs. There were stacks and stacks of unshelved books teetering on the floor. Something had to be done. I have put off walking into this room in my house for months. I didn't want to face this beast that had run a muck. It was just too big. Today was the day.
I lack enough shelf space in my house for all of the wonderful books in my collection. I know this, but what can be done about it? I also lack the space in my house for more shelves. It was time to deal with the facts. I have too many books. It hurts to say so, but it is the truth. It was time to make some tough choices. I had to cut some loose to take better care of the ones that I was keeping.
On the chopping block were:
Holiday books- Each child got to pick one book for each holiday to keep. The others are going. 4 books on each holiday is plenty. Holidays are about traditions, and the kids picked the books that they remember me reading to them most. Some are fun picture books. Some are storybooks. Others discuss the meaning of the holidays. There ended up being a pretty good mix.
Bibles- Honestly, how many children's Bibles does any one household need? We have 4 children so 4 seems to be the number that comes to mind. I have counted over 20 in my house. Keep in mind these are huge, thick books that take up a lot of space. It is time they go to a home that they will get some attention in, one that is not mine.
Books based on TV shows- How did I even end up with these? I have a collection of Kim Possible chapter books? Seriously? How did that happen? I think the books are multiplying down there, because I did not, at any point in time, purchase these.
Little Golden Books- These are my families treasures. I have 2 boxes full of these beautiful little wonders. Oh, they aren't going anywhere, other than off of my shelves. I have stored them neatly away and will hide them in a closet somewhere. My kids just don't read them anymore. I don't read them to the kids. As young children, they are a bit wordy. James doesn't have the attention span for them. Meg has the attention span, but now wants to read on her own and the Little Golden Books aren't written at her reading level. Several of them are also Disney movie books. Looking at these books is like walking down a timeline of my childhood. I am not ready to part with that, and my mother would never allow me to, but since I don't have the space for them on the shelves, off into storage they go.
So after several hours of sorting, boxing, and bagging, my library is still a mess. It is getting better, though, and with some time and attention I can see myself enjoying the space again. One of the benefits of cleaning the library, or even being in there at all is that the kids, all in turn, came in to see what I was doing and picked up a book without even thinking about it. That is why my house is full of books. That is what it is all about.
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