The Value of a Book

I've had a couple of experiences in the last few days that set me to thinking about books, and the role books play in our lives. I've always been very attached to my books and I am something of a collector of books, I have several editions from the Folio Society that I am particularly pleased with (they even have an entire series dedicated the Renaissance, and a beautiful version of Leonardo DaVinci's notebooks that I would like to add to my collection), but lately I've been wondering about the value of books, the value of personal libraries and this whole industry of book selling.

In the age of the renaissance, and up until at least the middle of the last century, the idea of the average bear having an extensive library was nearly unheard of, or if they did, it would consist of a few cherished items one of which was most likely the Bible. Extensive libraries were the domain of the rich and the clergy.  Nowadays it seems that every middle class, educated family has a library. I have two. I have one in my home and one that is still in my parents house where I grew up.

My parents have asked me (I've yet to comply) to do something with all those books, which is what got me thinking. What does one do with one's books. If this was the early 20th century instead of the early 21st century I would have been able to donate them to schools, or libraries or universities and they would have welcomed them with open and grateful arms. Today they would probably politely decline my gift even though in my collection are some nice books. The fact is there are a pile of books out there in the world, relative to the entire history of humankind and Chapters/Indigo and Barnes & Noble have built a whole culture around buying books.

When you think about getting a book most of us think about buying a book, sure we might go to an independent book store, or even a used book store but we rarely think about going to the library. So we continue this great accumulation of books that at some point will end up in the garbage, (hopefully recycled) since no one really wants a bunch of old books since they have their own collections. Chapters and Barnes & Noble have become the modern library but it costs more than the $5 it would cost to get a membership at the local library and you never have to return your books. So aside from the obvious environmental impact of all these books. I am wondering what is the value of book ownership. There are a ton of books on my shelves that I wish I had borrowed and not bought since I will never read them again.

It is nice to have some books, and there are books on my shelves that I re-read on a regular basis because they are great, but I also have books that I have read once and that I am not likely to read again, and the dilemma remains nobody wants those books and I feel like they cost me too much to get rid of, so instead they collect dust on my shelf until I die and someone else throws them out.

On top of all of this we now have new technologies that threaten to replace the book. We have iPads and Kindles, and e-readers that all make the idea of owning books more and more anachronistic. Now I am told, although I can't speak from experience yet, that all of the technologies for reading are not as user friendly as the book and that while you can read articles it is not as comfortable to read a novel. Those of us with books still have a romantic vision of "curling up with a good book" but the fact remains that reading technology is moving faster than Gutenberg and his first printing press and where we will land nobody knows.

I did have one positive experience with book ownership this weekend, my brother and sister-in-law were here for the weekend, and took the opportunity to raid my bookshelf and borrow a few of my favourites, they couldn't really do that on an iPad but it also highlighted to me that my book shelf is getting a bit too full since I am now creating double rows to accommodate my new purchases and the truth is I don't have anywhere to put any more new books but there is a ton of stuff I want to read. I have thought up a sneaky plan that I may have to start putting to use; I will go into chapters and write down the titles I want to read and then go the library and borrow them. I actually did this once,  and then when i was done I went out and bought the books because they were so good. (Who knew what a genius Robertson Davies was? I still re-read them on a regular basis).

Personal libraries are a reflection of one's character and I have often peered into a friend's book shelf to gain a glimpse of who they are, it's far more revealing than looking in their medicine cabinet. I know what I want mine to say about me and I used to think if my house was ever burning down i would foremost want to save my books, I'm not as sure anymore. There is still a ton of value in what's in the book, but I wonder if it is a technology that is becoming more and more obsolete as we discover new ways to read. I'd like to be reactionary here and say that we must defend the book and get thee to a big box book store and buy some books but I guess as long as people are reading it doesn't matter what technology they are using. We might be entering an age when being a renaissance man no longer requires an extensive library of books, but may just mean having a your digital library at your fingertips.