The Bookcases and the Sortings

Two weeks ago, we'd have been making our last preparations for our accreditation visit.  Yesterday, I did my last work on restoring the accreditation room back to being a classroom.  I now have two beautiful bookcases in my office.

When I first got to campus, I was amazed to be at a college campus that had no bookcases--not one.  Even the library has shelves that are closer to metal racks than shelves.

Now I face the question:  to move books from home to the office or not? 

I love being surrounded by my books, and I spend more of my waking hours in my office than anywhere else.  But we all know that hazard of moving books to the workplace:  at some point we'll have to move them again.  Of course, that's probably true of books at home too.  No place is as permanent as we might like.

I've been thinking that I need to adopt a different approach to sorting through possessions, and perhaps these bookcases can help me do that. 

It's been almost 4 years since we moved here.  When we were preparing to move 4 years ago, I did a rigorous sorting of all sorts of things:  books, backpacking equipment, clothes, art supplies, on and on the list could go.  I've been thinking about what we moved to the house and what I haven't really touched since.

In the past, I've done big sortings, the kind of activity that takes a day or a week-end.  But now, the thought of doing that kind of sorting exhausts me before I even start, so I don't start.

But I could do a little bit each week.  My goal for the summer is to ask myself each Sunday if I've gotten rid of anything this week--and if not, to do a tiny sort.

And I'll begin with bookcases at home:  which books should go to the office and which should stay at home--and am I ready to part with more books?

Stay tuned!