I’m in the process of downsizing my home library. I just donated twenty some books to my seminary’s library. Since the thought of ridding oneself of books will be appalling to almost all of my readers let me put you at ease by saying keep what books you like, but when the time comes to clear out the ones you likely won’t look at again, look no further than your alma mater’s library. Your donations will help your “nourishing mother” carry on doing just that–provided the library doesn’t discrimihate against your hand-me-downs.

You might be thinking that a library would never want that kooky pseudo-Christian how’d-it-get-published mess you unearthed in your parent’s basement or the random book you snagged in a thrift store far, far away, but you’d be wrong! I’d argue–despite the fact I hate people saying “I’d argue” because they never actually argue their point, but rely on the assumed force of “I’d argue” to be blunt enough to bull the argument over–I’d argue that that is precisely the book you should give. Somebody sometime will need your book in their research.

Check this out as a testimony to bibliotec benefaction. In the batch of books I recently donated there was one that I’ve had for years that I snagged from a rather fundy Baptist conference I attended while in college. I donated that action to my library and now SEBTS, according to WorldCat, is the only library in North Carolina to have a copy! I’ve also got a book on how Christians should respond to Y2K. Y2K! Somebody will need that book. And look at it this way: when you give a book to your library, you’re making it available to the world via interlibrary loan. My fundy book or my Y2K book could go anywhere in the world because I gave it up for my library. Won’t you do the same? Softly and tenderly your library’s calling…