Entry #4: On Collection and Disposal

 Should We Own Collections?

As I was sorting through my assortment of books that I've been purchasing over the years, a thought came to me after reflecting on the best use of books themselves. I was considering the fact that some people mark up their books, highlight and underline important sections or pieces, and scribble notes in the margins. I was thinking of doing the same, until visting the library one day. I noticed that many shelves were being opened up for future organization, and it seemed like there were several new additions to the public library. This was fascinating. I came to the realization that, for several months at this point, I've been trying to figure out how to maximize the utility in my collection - I was even starting to wonder if it was even worth collecting anything in the first place. Afterall, I've also kept several CDs and vinyls around, yet all my latest tech has completely gotten rid of any native support for CDs. What was I really doing this all for? My new car doesn't even have a CD player in it.

This called for even greater introspection, and I was back to thinking about my books.

If I scribble all over my books, would that impact my ability to donate them in the future? I have several used copies of texts with highlighted and underlined portions, yet I still bought them. 

The one and only thing I was able to make a definite decision on was the fact that I would not totally get rid of these items that I tend to collect. I got to thinking about what I could do in the future with all this extra material.

I ended up with several different ideas, but they all amounted to essentially recreating the idea of a public library, or simply donating to a local library. As far as the difficulty found in my ability to read this material to its full capability, I decided to opt for using sticky notes and scribbling corresponding notes within a journal or notebook.

In spite of all that, I was left with both an idea and a feeling that was hard to describe. On one hand, I believe that the books I possess need to be shared; on the other hand, I feel like I accidentally made the mistake of attachig myself to the concept of owning (rather than sharing and/or enjoying) books, as if a full bookshelf was just an object to admire. Out of several books, I have only finished a few with how little time I find myself having. Everything else is saved on my phone or laptop, or pulled up through a website.

Why is it that we have the feeling to save and admire such objects as if they held sentimental value? According to Francine Russo on Scientific American, this idea is tied to our innate human nature. In this piece, the author posits that we may trace this idea back to our attachment style, and this attachment style turning away from "secure" to increasingly more avoidant/anxious appears to line up with an increase in materialism (in the sense that we desire more material goods, not the philosophical idea you may know with a different definition).

This led me to reflect once more about who I am and what I'd like to do with my own possessions. Donating all items of my collection seems to be a step too far, but I realized that there was a very different idea that could be a huge benefit to myself and others. I remembered something I noted to myself several months or years back, and that was the concept of starting (or joining) a book club. I never thought it'd be my cup of tea, but it's been on my mind for a long time now.

With everything considered, I believe this was my perfect compromise. Then, as more resources appear on the internet, I may donate or give away books that are no longer needed and only keep ones required for my personal notes, analysis, and reference.

Now, I understand the issue I had with how to read my books the "right way." This had nothing to do with whether or not I had to scribble and mark down all over my books, and had everything to do with the fact that I became far too attached to the idea of owning material possessions. Ironically, I even found that I presented signs of an avoidant attachment style right around the time I realized that my internal decisions to hold onto unused items sounds suspiciously like some form of proto-hoarding.

As much as this seems like normal behavior, I do get the idea that I can push against this desire to hoard and collect, and instead choose to share valuable information and insights through literature that not every library is equipped to provide.

If this plan of mine comes to fruition, I do hope that my ideas assist in helping people get into the habit of sharing their belongings when appropriate and taking extra time to decide whether they truly need their extra collections.