Minimalist hacks for Book Addicts (aka Bibliophiles)

Are you a book addict like me?

Following the minimalist lifestyle becomes rather challenging if you are person who cannot,

a) get rid of books in your collection

b) minimize purchasing

c) especially love having around all of your favorite copies

In my case, it doesn't matter if I am going to read the books right away or not, I keep buying more.

It becomes necessary and important to minimize if you have got a smaller living space or if you just want to have a de-cluttered minimal library.

Having loads of books around makes it overwhelming during the process of transition towards a minimalist lifestyle. And also more difficult to make decisions if you are already living as one.

So, here are a few hacks that will help you declutter and also strike a balance, with those huge volumes of books in your collection, to keep it minimal.

1. Categorize first

One of the ways minimalism has made my life easier is by giving me more clarity, as it now becomes easier to organize.

You must of have heard of Marie Kondo's method, if not, it goes like this. Hold a thing in your both hands, it could be a gift or a dress or something that was lying around for quite a while. And, ask the question "does this item spark joy?" If it's a yes, you keep it. If it's a no, you get rid of it by donating it to someone or recycling it and so on. And the last category - "may be" , you put them in a box or a bag kept at a distance visible to you somewhere. And if you do not find the need to reach back to them for 6 months or one year. That means you might not necessarily need them.

This is by far a very realistic approach which many minimalists have identified with. And it works, I have tried it myself especially with the sentimental items. However, in the case of my books it hasn't worked for me.

The decision fatigue is real.

So here is what I do, I categorise my books. Yep! all of them. I categorise them based on the genres, academic subjects, magazines etc.

This gives you a first hand picture of the wide spectrum of resources you have got.

Then to the next step,

You do not need to meticulously review the books or critique the work to make a decision. Here is what you can do, every time you finish a book, on the right corner of the front page, write down a tiny number with a pencil.

Wondering what's this number?

It's a rating. Rate your book on a scale of 1 to 5.

1* I haven't enjoyed reading it at all

2** It was okayish

3*** It was kinda fun and interesting, not that bad after all

4**** It was amazing, what a plot, inspiring...loved reading it

5***** Every bit of it was awesome. Could there be anything better?

You might have understood already. This kinda of rating is very simple and is not comprehensive like reviewing. However, it captures that genuine feeling at the moment after closing the book.

I donate or recycle any book that falls below 3 i.e, the 1s and the 2s.

One month before a new year begins, I go through all my belongings and try to de-clutter to start the year afresh. At that point, or any point you might be planning to de-clutter - check your number and ask for all the 3s "Is it still necessary?"

Remember, collecting new books is a cycle. New ones keep coming in and if you have to achieve your minimalism goals, you gotta let go of some too.

2. One book, many versions

If they are vintage and rare, the question doesn't arise.

But, at times we keep adding on the newer versions of the books to our library.

Hardcovers

Paperbacks

Editions

What not? Right?

Make a decision and keep one copy.

3. Audio books

These are absolute gems. I have admitted it so many times. In fact, I love listening to all my personality development and self-growth books over the app.

These audio books just fuel my spirit no matter where I am. Like a coach on demand.

I know a few freinds who even love listening to fiction but I personally like reading.

You can pick whichever app that works in your country.

4. Go digital

Alright, this is one of the suggestions my friends keep giving to me. But, I have a personal problem. Reading digitally for long gives me a bad headache (literally), probably because of my eye sight issues. I can only sit with e-books for a very limited period of time as it strains my eyes.

But, I know a lot of friends who have no issues whatsoever.

And, that's why I tried not to personalize a few hacks here. Unlimited digital space, a gadget full of books or a neatly organized folder of e-books. What else does a Biblipophile need? Right?

5. Read at a library

Visiting my city's central library is an absolutely happy thing for me to do. The enormous collections, the smell of those old editions of books, and a bunch of readers to hang out on coffee breaks.

Get yourself a membership and enjoy!

6. Borrow and lend

Joining book clubs or reading groups could be helpful and budget friendly too. You can request a friend to lend his/her book and vice versa to keep the reading habit going. This is something my friends and I have done a lot during our days in college.

You can borrow books from the library too.

7. Magazines are a massive clutter

At one given point of time, Magazines cluttered my book shelves and occupied so many racks. I sold them all to the firms who recycle stuff. Or, my brother and I made some amazing crafts out of those.

However, when it comes to informative magazines like economic and political weekly or downtoearth in my country (India), I justn't couldn't get rid of them. I felt they have so much of useful information in them (useful for my career too). Hence, I marked the important pages or articles and scanned those to store in my digital resources folder. Or, for a few, I cut down the specific articles and kept them in a document holder. I have also subscribed online to avail digital access to the archives, as I might need them for my career.

There you go!

Remember, Minimalism isn't about deprivation or getting rid of everything you love. It's never that extreme. Minimalism, in fact, brings in more organization and clarity not just to your space but also your mind. Also Read "Minimalism for Beginners".

Yep, go ahead now and pour yourself a warm cup of tea or coffee and continue with your reading and book addiction. And, do take some time off and de-clutter.