Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Five, in which old Books need a new Home

Your Bibliothecary has begun forcing ourselves to cull our personal collection by a couple books once every month. So far, the decisions have been rather simple. But others are not faced with such obvious decisions. Kate and Ella are both going through the process of divesting themselves of books. The question most often asked--after "Which ones go?"--is "Where do I send them?"

Friends and family often top the list of recipients. Other than that: a good place to start is your local library. If they cannot use them in circulation, most libraries now hold book sales to raise additional funds. If yours doesn't, perhaps you can organise one. Other places we frequently donate to are rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and veterans' homes. There are many national organisations, such as the American Association of University Women, with local chapters that hold book sales with donated books. Schools might be pleased to accept books from a kind reader. Special giveaways are a great way to reward readers of one's blog, and keep the book within a somewhat more personal circle than an anonymous donation. The Salvation Army is a permanent last resort.

Perhaps, though, a university--better still, the Museum of the Weblog--should provide a repository for all the books litbloggers must get rid of. Imagine an international collection in one building made up of books from your Bibliothecary, and Kate, and Ella, and all the others who are faced with deciding what to do with the books they can no longer keep. Let the MOTW Collection stand as a permanent memorial to book-fancying bloggers, a place that belongs to all and serves all, a good home for the books we once loved enough to take them in and make them our own.