Welcome back to 30 Days To An Organized Home (also known as the 30-Day Organize-athon)!
In today’s 5 minutes we’re going to express-organize your library of books, DVDs and/or CDs.
Before you start, inhale a sense of clarity, freedom and order; now let’s get going.
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Completed this a few weeks ago, but revisited and decided to keep what I have now
Our group responses are as follows:
Boxes or bins: mark donate, sell or trash
Sort items into donate, sell or trash. Return keep items to their appropriate location
Donate to library, school or local book club: books; CD’s; DVD’s; videos; record albums; magazines
Heirlooms: photo albums & other family heirlooms pass on to other family members
¬Items that are of value and sellable: sell at yard sales, resale shops, flea markets or online
Old textbooks: This is a personal choice. Keep the books that you will continue to use. Remember books do become obsolete. the question to ask will this book be in print 20 years from now. Will I refer to these material 20 years later?
Out of date information: donate to elementary schools or library
Trash: photos that have negative memories
Most of my stuff is digital including books. The kids have a few but nothing I need to organize and declutter at this time.
Our group has made the following decisions:
Take a large box (or bag) to your bookshelves. Put into the box:
Books to donate to library or book club: won’t re-read or never likely to read.
Books that contain out-of-date information (that means most reference books, encyclopedias, etc.) = keep if it is of interest to you, especially hard bound encyclopedias.
Old textbooks – unless you graduated, like, this decade = personal choice; or good for class reunions to be put on display [example shorthand books can be kept as it is not taught anymore but still used by this person]
Binders of seminar/course info to refer to the course you took
Archived magazines: Only keep if their used as reference & store in metal cabinet as they are perishable.
Manuals for software or computers you no longer use Donate to library or computer collector or colleges
Software CDs for programs you no longer use Donate to library or computer collector or colleges
Computer games the kids (or you) have outgrown sell to Half Price Books or Game Stop
CDs you no longer listen to Donate to library, schools, or colleges
CDs ripped to your iPod and backed up on your computer (if you only want the CD booklet, just keep that)
DVDs you’ve seen and won’t re-watch Donate to the center
DVDs the kids have outgrown Sell at half price books
Unseen DVDs you’re never likely to watch Sell at Half Price Book Stores or gift or keep
Photo albums you never look at Keep to pass on as an heirloom
Photo albums that have negative memories Personal choice
Video or audio cassettes if you no longer have players for them. Donate to library, schools or colleges
Take your boxes to the door or straight to the car [if you own a car].
Now take a deep breath your library is now in order.
I had done this on day 1. We don’t only lack a VHS player (got rid of those at move) but also don’t have a DVD player hooked up to TV. Our DVDs have been touched and neglected by 4 kids….we threw out almost everything. That’s what Netflix and Hulu are for.
Did this on day 1. Unfotunately it din’t lat. Will fix it again when the kids go to bed.
VHS’s anyone?!