The Books We Keep
McPherson Sentinel, July 31, 2010
My father is planning a move from Salina to McPherson, and as a result, we are downsizing his household possessions considerably. Decisions must be made about the fate of each item, but the books give me pause. Which ones will I keep, and why?
Some of these books that have survived numerous moves and house cleanings over the past 130 years are sentinels of my family’s past. Their weight in my hand and the sight of their covers remind me that books often tell stories other than that which is held within the pages. These are much more than shelves of volumes in various sizes and bindings.
As I open the covers and read the inscriptions and notes, I see that they tell the story of travel and relocation: some books making the journey from Millersville, Illinois to Galva, Kansas at the turn of the 20th century, then to Seattle, Washington and back once more to several places in Kansas. They’ve witnessed every conveyance, from horse and wagon, to railroads, to automobiles.
Many of our old books serve as reminders of times past and events associated with them. I pull two well-worn volumes of Stanley & Livingston and Theodore Roosevelt’s African Game Trails off the shelf and remember stories of how my grandfather delighted in reading them of an evening by the light of the kerosene lamp, after a hard day at work on the family farm near Cottonwood Falls.
A dedication written in a book may bring back memories of the day or event on which it was given. Notes written on pages may provide clues to solving family history mysteries, or the opinion or personality of the reader, now long-gone.
The condition of some of the books on the shelves renders their fate as a foregone conclusion – they have disintegrated under years of use and a high acid content in the paper. I see a couple others who show the tell-tale signs of mold.
While value signifies more than dollars, the potential monetary value of a particular title must be considered. In my experience, the monetary value of most old books is much less than one might imagine. Volumes which people believe are of particular value frequently are not, while setting not far away on the same shelf often is one that actually is!
I can report with confidence that my father will not join the ranks of the wealthy as a result of the sale of his books. And as proof of my own point, even the set of his grade school readers which we always assumed had particular value merit no special attention.
Having worked with families and individuals over the years in assisting them with the disposition of family book collections, these thoughts and this process are not unfamiliar to me. But in this case, I’m going to be heartless, repeating the mantra that “you can’t keep everything” -- except when it comes to memories.