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Buzz on books

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Buzz says: "..having a library of books that you have read is like keeping a six-pack of empty beer bottles. I have come to give away the books that I read so that others might enjoy them".

As a result of the recent burglary, I've just started to put all of the books in my library into an Access database. I've spent 15 years building up a library of books that shaped my brain and they mean a lot to me. Not only because I like to refer to them regularly, but because I hope someday they will be a source of education and inspiration for my kids. If they were ever stolen, or lost in an accident, it would take years to replace them. Many are first editions, some Napoleonic histories 200 years old, etc. I've got shelves full of books, must be somewhere near 1000.

So I don't lend them out, but I do often give copies of some of my favourites as gifts to people I care about. Recently I've given away books by Ayn Rand, Noam Chomsky, a biography on Napoleon by Vincent Cronin, and a Rimbaud. I like to give people books that changed my view of the world. I'm not much into fiction, unless it is fiction with purpose.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    March 08, 2004
    Cameron, are you just archiving the titles? Or actually archiving the text from the books?
  • Anonymous
    March 08, 2004
    LOL! no, just the meta-data... title, author, category, publication date, whether or not its a first edition, etc. Would the latter be... ummm. illegal?
  • Anonymous
    March 08, 2004
    Don't know about illegal, but would it take a lot of time (without some specialized book scanner)? Most likely!

    I love the books where you get an electronic version of the book with it, unfortunately it's not too common except with computer related books.
  • Anonymous
    March 08, 2004
    I believe the day will come when I will have all of my library as e-books and I can't wait for that day. I've already to 50 or so of my favourites as e-books and I love it.
  • Anonymous
    March 09, 2004
    I don't know if it's be illegal or not. I just wasn't sure what task you were tackling, as archiving the text would take A LONG TIME :D