Answer: Books more then other media seem to foster attachment. I wouldn’t give away my copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude. I mean it changed my whole world view! We notice that people like the fact that books donated to Von Melee are going to find a good home, are going to support charitable causes and are going to enrich a new reader with the experience that the original owner also experienced.
The book itself is a very immersive medium in that it engages us fully. We are in our own private world much like movies and unlike most television and radio (Breaking Bad being an exception to prove the rule) which are more suitable for multi-tasking or being on in the background.
I was talking to a friend, Rob Jones about this. “I read a lot but I get most of my books from the library. I mostly read and move on and rarely ever go back to a book. But it’s more of a space issue. My fiance and I don’t have room for all the books we have now. I mean they’ re stored away. Even if I wanted to read them I couldn’t get them.”
There are book people who love the idea of holding onto books. As we proceed in our lives we may even dream of having a library at home. That may or may not come to fruition. The fact remains though that many folks are downsizing and having to make very difficult decisions about which books to keep and which to donate. “It’s like giving away my friends,” commented one book donor.
– Matt Johnson
Ps. Book donations Denver – Free pickup is available from Von Melee in the Denver area.