Hoarding

[woodwardiocom]

As things like books, movies, and music move ever more into the Cloud, I worry that future generations will see my generation's large physical collections of books, DVDs, CDs, and vinyl as not-so-much evidence of culture and dedication, and more as obsessive hoarding behavior...

Comments

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

What do you mean future generations?

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

In my case, I mean my daughter.

But, if you have an anecdote, I'm all ears!

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

I'm just saying that I've tried pretty hard not to let media collections build up and where it has accidentally happened, I've recently spent some time and effort paring down (e.g. 15 boxes of books have recently left the house and I think more will go in the moving process). There is too much media for me to keep any but my very favorites on hand.

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

This is true. I am reasonably proud of myself that I do, truly, occasionally, winnow the crap out of my bookshelves and give it away. It's like pulling teeth, and it's never a huge percentage, but it does happen.

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

What she said. I see a lot of people hoarding books, and I don't just mean my clients. No, it's generally not pathological hoarding, but the books don't fit into the space allotted, they get in the way, they get dusty, and they don't get read.

[mrw42.livejournal.com]

Um, I think most most people in our current generation view it that way now.

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

Well, granted. On the other hand, I rarely have anyone in my home who doesn't regard our numerous bookshelves as a good thing. (The only person I can ever recall commenting negatively on my books was actively carrying them out to a moving van at the time.)

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

No, it'll be like looking at retro pictures of white-coated scientists running room-sized IBM mainframes. "You needed *what*? Wow, that's... unfathomably clunky."

[beowabbit]

I think they will look at your library and think “Cool! I wish my dad hadn’t made me throw out all my old Ultraviolet-Ray discs when we upgraded to neural implants! I mean, my collection wasn’t this big, but it would still be really cool to have! Wow, the cases are real hydrocarbon plastic! I wonder how much my disc of _Star Trek Rebooted XLVI_ would be worth if I still had it, the one where Captain Uhura gets Spock pregnant?”

[inkedandkinked.livejournal.com]

Hoarding is subjective. Of course saying that I should also say I have 1400 vinyl lps, 9 or 10 motorcycles, a cellar filled with motorcycle parts, 2 trucks, a car, 2 trailers, many many books, 2 garages a large and a small shed with stuff. But I did manage to put out 3 boxes of books for recycling tonight (mostly text, law, and statute compilations.)

I must admit I like your book shelves myself.

[aota.livejournal.com]

When I was first getting into fandom I met some very cool people and they had these great shelves of books. Thousands of them in their house and I admired them greatly both them and their collection of SF and Fantasy books. I think I've really striven to emulate them most of my life which is why I to have metric ton of books too. Personally I think if you truly love your books that it isn't really hoarding but when you don't then its hoarding.