My Good News post for this week is a rather odd one. It is about my recent activity in purging my personal library.
Those who have known me well and for a while will know that I have been a long time book collector. I have amassed a sizeable library and I did enjoy collecting these books.
So how can this be Good News?
One is that I have found it somewhat freeing. I will share why I am doing this in a moment. But going through and getting rid of many of my books is actually having a positive impact on me. It is not something I expected.
The other positive side is that I am meeting some people and have some great conversations. In the past, I have just dropped off books and secondhand stores. This time, I am listing them on Facebook marketplace and asking very affordable prices.
Doing it this way means that the books are going directly to people who really want them. I have had a number of repeat customers and have enjoyed getting to know them.
But why am I doing this?
Part of it is the stage of my career right now. I do not plan to pastor at another church whenever I am done at Brookfield Baptist Church. I am closer to the end of my pastoral career than to the beginning.
Another part is a change in my role in research and academics. I am not likely to do a PhD and the books I gathered while doing my MTh and MA degrees will probably not be used again.
There are areas of research that I am interested in and I am keeping books related to those topics. But many of the books that just looked good on a shelf are not going to be used.
I am going through my library and getting rid of books I have read but will not read again, books I have not read and are not likely to read, and pretty much anything that I do not see as relevant.
I still have a lot of books and I intend to keep going through and being ruthless in my cutting back, even when it makes me feel uncomfortable.
My hope is at the end to have a leaner and more focused personal library.
This is a tour of part of my library from before “the purge.”
