Touchy Subject...

Too many books. It's touchy to address the fact that books CAN be clutter.
According to Wikipedia: A Bibliophile is an avid lover or collector of books. But Bibliomania, an obsessive-compulsive disorder involving the collecting of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged, and in which the mere fact that an object IS A BOOK is sufficient for it to be collected or loved is another matter. You don't have to have this disorder to consider the fact that books can overwhelm your space. Look around. Are they gathering dust, are the shelves stuffed, are books on the floor, in drawers.. is there a place for one more book if you bought it?

First ask yourself a few questions to see where you are .... Can you consider throwing books away? How do you currently decide/select which ones to keep, and how do you incorporate them into your home?

Books are wonderful addition to the home when they are being read, referenced, adding value and are properly displayed and cared for. But they all don't have to be kept FOREVER!. Ask yourself why you are holding on to your books? Is it because you once had the interest or needed the information. If so, is it STILL relevant? If not, then it is time to let it go. Or is it because owning and keeping it gives you a sense of security, accomplishment or intellectual status because you own the book and the knowlege within it - whether you have actually read it or not, or if it even still interests you?

Peter Walsh in "It's All Too Much!" explains "When you buy a book, you do not suddenly own the wisdom it contains - all you have bought is words on paper. It's up to you to internalize whatever enlightenment the book has to offer. Without full grasping this concept, it can be close to impossible to separate oneself from one's books".

If you are ready to part with some of your books, next ask- What is the worst thing that would happen if you no longer OWNED the book?
-Can they be replaced if you needed another? (library, amazon, e-bay, used bookstore).
-Is the information available elsewhere? (Internet).
-Is the information up to date or even relevant anymore?

-Donate or sell books that are no longer relevant so they may be enjoyed by another.
-Set a limit on the area(s) in your home you will allocate for books.
-Purge your books until they fit into that space with some room to SPARE.
-Moving forward, use the in-out rule to keep under control. For every new book you bring home, an old one must be donated.