This is Post 5 of 8 this afternoon.

8) DISCUSSION: ARE WE TOO ATTACHED TO BELOVED OLD BOOKS TO PART WITH THEM?

Books have been in the news of late. A week ago came word that, while renovations of Redpath Hall and the McGill Library are undertaken, the long-running McGill Book Fair has been shelved, perhaps permanently. Meanwhile, MonSFFA’s own used book sale has been on hold since the onset of the pandemic. We’ve also heard that Archambault’s iconic Berri-Street store is scheduled to close this summer; this music store also stocks a good number of books. And, venerable Mile End bookshop S.W. Welch, after years of enduring crippling rent increases, now anticipates closing shop!

A Washington Post newspaper article (http://www.monsffa.ca/?p=26373), reprinted in The Gazette a few weeks ago, highlighted the difficulty some folk have parting with old, beloved books.

Too many books, not enough time! Faced with diminishing shelf space, many booklovers are finding that their collections, some amassed over a lifetime, are in need of a dramatic downsizing. Easier said than done, however, as they have formed strong attachments to their many tomes. Unfailingly, the value they place on their books, both monetary and emotional, is at considerable variance with the worth assessed by family, friends, and others, who are usually completely uninterested in acquiring any books. Even used book shops, themselves faced with limited shelf space, are apt to pass on such as large, coffee-table books, non-fiction, or any volume dealing with too narrow a subject as to appeal much to customers.

On ZOOM at this time, we’re opening the floor to discussion, focusing on how attached we become to our favourite books, and how difficult it can be to purge our collections. Are we booklovers simply unable to part with a book, or worse, toss one into the recycling bin? Your thoughts on the topic are welcome.

We’ll take a few moments, as well, to explore how increasingly arduous a task it’s becoming to sell off used books, or even donate them, and touch on how churches respectfully—or not!—dispose of holy books.

Those not equipped to join our ZOOM discussion may contribute, nonetheless, by using this post’s “Leave a Comment” feature to type in commentary.