Book Hoarders

Is there any place or group on Library Thing where people discuss the logistical problems involved when you have a large library, like over 3000 books. How to store, maintain, and dispose of them when you die. I know at least a couple people in my area who have this many books and are interested in the topic, and there are probably more that I don't know about. I know there are at least 5000 people on Library Thing that have that many books.

https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookcasesifyoubuild discusses book storage.

https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookcareandrepair discusses care of books

There have been various discussions about disposal of books after the owner dies. Basically, if you think your collection is worth keeping together, you need to think about what library might want it, and arrange it with them before you die. Most libraries are not interested in a bunch of old books. It costs a lot to enter them in the system and store them.

My collection of books is for me. They are books for me to enjoy. I am aware that they have no monetary value, and that once I am dead they will be thrown away.

>2 MarthaJeanne: "once I am dead they will be thrown away"

Unless they're falling apart or badly water-damaged or smoke-stinky, many of them should be able to find new homes through an estate sale, friends-of-the-library sale, and thrift store donation. Most of the books I own come from such sources. :)

>3 Opteryx:

As long as there is someone who wants to do the work for that -- that may not always be the case...

There is not much demand in Austria for old theology books in English.

Even the needlework books, I have received books from others who wanted to slim down their collections. I have no idea who would want them. The few places who normally take things aren't doing it this year.

>1 Mapguy314:

You could make a group. I'd join it, I thought in the past about making such a group, about the specific problems (and delights!) of large libraries.

I send off books to the local charity driven second hand shops and buy some others from them. My family like books but I'm also quite confident that they'll get rid of 95% or so when I croak. The local reuse facility has a 30-ft container for books. I imagine the contents are recycled as toilet paper or similar. Probably some of the books I hand over to the charities end up in the container a few hours later, but that's not my fault :-)

I wonder how much my books weigh. My house is starting to creak.

>9 Mapguy314: That's rather easy to estimate. The average density of my books is about 0.7 g/cm^3, so a rough measure of the volume of your books in m^3 multiplied by 0.7 will give you the answer in metric tons.
Or if you have stacked them like me, just take the volume of the books shelves :-)

If you have catalogued all your books in LT, you can find it here already calculated for you:

https://www.librarything.com/stats/MEMBERNAME/physical

In rough numbers I have 4 cubic meters of books with a weight of 3 tonnes.

Can the system measure just one collection? My entire library here includes huge chunks of Read but Unowned and Wishlist.

>11 2wonderY: Yes - just pick the correct collection from the dropdown that says "Collection" :) And you can select more than one if you use "Custom".

>10 bnielsen: Gee, I would have thought that you would simply add the weights in each book entry.

>13 Mapguy314: Too easy. Besides I don't have the weight of each book in my collection (yet). :-)