I'm damn certain they breed!

It's a law of nature that when you remove items from shelves or cupboards they will never go back in, even if you have doubled the storage space! The secret is to leave them undisturbed.

I am strict with myself about passing on books I've read. Dh isn't so good so I've banned everyone from buying him books until he has read what he's got on the shelves.

Fiction partially solved by buying from charity shops and returning them;if new I buy books my family like and pass them on. I use kindle for library books. Reference books are another matter! I’ve been debating getting rid of my OU course books but I’ve decided not at the moment. Craft and cookery books keep growing despite my best efforts. It’s the same with fabric and old clothes, all being used eventually (or not). I’m planning recycling old clothes onto rag rugs etc. I’m going to need a new bookcase soon as the old Billy is falling apart!
How can I recycle the wood? I know, I can store until I decide.

We are also in the process of painting . The books have come down and the shelves dusted, cleaned and painted so no sorry I can't advise as we will be in the exact same situation if and when they go back.
We plan to go through them together but since we are never in a book sorting mood when together.....
I am determined to sort them into categories at least. Perhaps I'll find my lost library book for which I've been given another month's grace.

There is an annual book sale but it was a couple of weeks ago.

I don't know phoenix
(not much help I know!)

We have one and some are inherited - no valuable first editions though.
Our local charity does not want books and I do not trust the local second-hand book seller at all.

Paperbacks get passed on as soon as they are read.

I don't know! My DS had finally moved out. About time too, he's 35 this year.
He has left behind a very tall, four sided CD rack full to overflowing. DD says she will come and go through them to see if she wants any of them, but when?
There are also drawers full of clothes. Those, I think will go to the charity shop or clothes bank, as he hasn't shown any interest in going through them to see if any are wearable.

one

one what? Hundreds.

Oh, the DD's CDs!!
!"Don't get rid of them, Mum"!

We have more than one Billy …..

Try Webuybooks.com or music magpie soon sort those cds and books out!!

I am not allowed to get rid of the CDs
But I will if they stay there much longer.

House rule in our apartment. No new books in till old one out. Does it work ..no ..new books on floor, on table, top of wardrobe ... sigh.

I have my favourites and all the others I buy I throw away or download on Kindle. I decided ( we have 3 Billys) that there would not be another bookcase bought.

Thanks midgey will have a look.

Also thanks to all who posted.

I just cannot read books on my Kindle! Sorry, but much prefer a "proper" book. Most of the fiction ones have come from charity shops, but currently some of our local ones are not accepting book donations.

However, someone in the village has just posted on the village Facebook page, that she is collecting for a charity in Exeter!

She doesn't drive, but fills a shopping trolley and trundles it on the bus every Tuesday when she goes to get class.

So, cunning plan, drop off a boxful at a time to her house, so that she doesn't feel overwhelmed!

Just a thought, we take books down to the charity shop a handful at a time. May take longer but they are never refused.

Our Tesco has a book exchange I take a handful down at a time so my shelves are slowly emptying.
I’m trying to have less stuff overall so that if I decide to move it will be easier.

We downsized so made the decision to only keep relevant reference books. This is nearly, almost working but despite the resolution to support my local library, I seem to be acquiring fiction books again. But I’ve been told that libraries will take hard back books in good condition to add to their stock (and save council tax money) so we’re going to have a sort out. Some time. Soon! (I doubt the outdated and hardly opened photography books will find a home though)

I got rid of all reference books last month. It had been ages since I had looked at them, anything I want to know is on-line and more up to date. I did keep the Shakespeare, but that's all

I used to keep every book, but soon realised that we didn't have enough space, so charity shops and book shelf at the local surgery felt the benefit.
Late DH would not throw any book out and had bookshelves three rows deep! I am afraid after he died that they ended up at the charity shop too. I still have shelves to get through.....
I now read books on my Kindle and rarely have a hard copy, unless they are lent or given to me. I did manage to get DH onto a Kindle, as after his stroke he found it difficult to read ordinary print, and on the Kindle the font could be enlarged.

We have more books than our local library. What do they do with theirs? Pulp them? If charity shops don't want them do people in other countries?
DH still buys new hardbacks. It's his indulgence and I keep stashes of fabric and yarn.

Do you have a garden centre near you that could have a corner for donated books, that then get re-homed for a small donation to a charity?
One of the Wyevales near us, had such a stall, near their coffee shop, with the proceeds going to Marie Curie, and so there were often browsers and buyers.

The hardest books for me to get rid of was a full set of encyclopaedia - dated 1910! They were fascinating to dip into but took up too much space. They did quite well at a book auction.