Physical Literature vs Digital Literature

[a2zkiddos]

Having been in the truth for 40+ years, I have managed to collect lots of literature. In addition I have inherited my in laws. All of these books are taking up a lot of space and I feel the need to simplify. Has anyone done this? What did you keep? What did you get rid of? Did you just trash them or donate?

 

I would love to hear how you all have simplified your literature and what criteria you used to determine if something was a keeper or a tosser.

 

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[Luisabola]

We did downsize too, space is an issue where we live. We notified the hall and the congregation chat that we were going to downsize and some was given away. Some had notes in and I wanted to keep for memories (a handful) so went up in the loft, all the rest was shredded or thrown away, or used as kindling when we were doing a fire in the garden. It was hard, but I kept what I wanted and the stuff that was used by others was great. Jehovah isn’t in the books, it was just sentimental, and we have so much in digital format now. It just made sense for our family. On another note, a different sister who was doing a similar thing was able to give me two brand new original yellow Bible story books for my kids which I love that they have. (Ours were written all over and ripped unfortunately). 

[jwhess]

25 minutes ago, a2zkiddos said:

 

Having been in the truth for 40+ years, I have managed to collect lots of literature. In addition I have inherited my in laws. All of these books are taking up a lot of space and I feel the need to simplify. Has anyone done this? What did you keep? What did you get rid of? Did you just trash them or donate?

 

I would love to hear how you all have simplified your literature and what criteria you used to determine if something was a keeper or a tosser.

 

Sent from my SM-F926U using Tapatalk

 

 

 

If the decision is made to depend on the digital publications, then some kind of method of disposing of the printed material is necessary.  You have already saved things with personal attachment then the rest are fair game to dispose.  Today it is harder to find some (like me) who would be happy to take some of the printed material.  If it is REALLY old, it would be good to see if the organization could use the material (but it has to be very old or rare for that to happen).  It is good to remember that older digital publications to not have any of the charts or pictures in the electronic format (if that is important to your study.  The digital versions are generally limited to 1970 (except for the Watchtowers which go back to 1950).

 

To dispose of the remainder, just recycle or trash the publications.  It is rare that some used / charity store wants any of them.  Buck up the courage to throw them away. I seldom threw out any old publications until I moved to town about 2 years ago.  I kept my entire personal collection but I had duplicates that no one wanted and I filled parts of a couple of dumpsters with the remainders.  A sad day for me, but necessary.

 

On a happy note, I was able to share a dozen or so publications with various Watchtower training facilities and Branches around the world.  So not all was lost...💗

[Qapla]

Working with the RBC/LDC on KH construction and remodeling we had many, many people think the KH could use all their old publications and brought them to the Hall and "dropped them off".

 

Often, the KH library was already full of the same publications. At times, the publications left at the Hall were not in condition to keep.

 

Some really do find it hard to dispose of old publications.

 

We had much of ours get damaged due to humidity problems - that made it much easier for us to dispose of what we no longer needed. Living in a rural area we were able to burn much of we got rid of instead of facing the cost of disposing of "books" that the County wants to charge you to throw away (the weight is the problem).

 

At some of the Halls I worked on they simply loaded all the unwanted stuff in the dumpster with the rest of the debris.

 

 

[Old]

2 hours ago, Qapla said:

Working with the RBC/LDC on KH construction and remodeling we had many, many people think the KH could use all their old publications and brought them to the Hall and "dropped them off".

 

Often, the KH library was already full of the same publications. At times, the publications left at the Hall were not in condition to keep.

 

Some really do find it hard to dispose of old publications.

 

We had much of ours get damaged due to humidity problems - that made it much easier for us to dispose of what we no longer needed. Living in a rural area we were able to burn much of we got rid of instead of facing the cost of disposing of "books" that the County wants to charge you to throw away (the weight is the problem).

 

At some of the Halls I worked on they simply loaded all the unwanted stuff in the dumpster with the rest of the debris.

 

 

And that is why the local rbc were instructen to not includr storage rooms in KH plans. Not of the current KH plans include extra storage. Old KHs with basements found they had basements full of old publications and bound volumes.

[Qapla]

There aren't too many basements in Florida - not in KH's and not in homes  

 

 

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

We downsized 12 years ago. I had WT volumes, reprints and self-bound volumes, and books going back to the 1950's
Basically they are all gone. I'm still sad about it, but I still do not have room for them.
I tried family first. Most had their own, or had already downsized, and could not take them except for one book. A leather-bound embossed study bible I got from the US.
I tried local kingdom halls. Only new halls needed any, and most had 'oldies' who were only too happy to move their own collection to the new hall.
I tried collectors, but generally, they were after exotic stuff, not the 'run-of-the-mill' stuff I had.
I had every National Geographic going back to 1970. I found one person that took that.
My bible collection {Hebrew (OT) interlinear, 8 parallel NT bible, 4 parallel OT+NT bible, Vines concordance, Hebrew dictionary, Complete set of Josephus, 5x set original NWT volumes (1950's), the original green NWT and the original FAT green study bible (1963 Ed)}
I gave them all to one brother who could see I loved them, and took them from me out of compassion more than his desire for them. I never asked what became of them.
Everything else went to the paper recycling bin.
I feel sad just recounting how my collection had to go. My head says there was no other option, but my heart still loves them.
It is easy to click on a study link, but I used to like getting out the volume. Smelling the ink, scanning the context of the selected paragraph or quote, seeing any pictures or illustrations - are now a thing of the past for me.
I did have a small collection of my personal books and bibles. A copy of Faith on the March, a German Eberfelder bible I studied in Austria. My father (died 1974) wrote on the front page of my first (black) deluxe NWT. I stored these in a box under a friend's house. Sadly these were destroyed by a flood some years back.
So all I have is memories.
If it has to be done, it has to be done. Most of the publications are on the WT or JW Libraries.
If you do decide to keep some, wrap them well. Preferably waterproof.
And put those silica beads in them to stop the mold. But in hindsight, I still do not have room for them, nor do I think I would be able to use them in the foreseeable future.
You might just have to bite the bullet like me and move on. You'll always have the memories.

Old (Downunder) Tone

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

On a side note: I yearn to see the Bible Museum at WHQ.
Now there are some books I would like to see! I cannot imagine them ever being tossed out, but I would make room for them!
So I'm asking@Tortuga and@Qapla,@Old &@jwhess to let me visit on way through.
(Any other friends in the US that want to be included on my pilgrimage, please let me know: city & state.)
It would be such a blast to see you all and your book collections.
I will make up an itinerary. Fictitious at first, but who knows...
I'm getting 'itchy' feet, or cabin fever, whichever...

Old (Downunder) Tone