Am I being unreasonable where books are concerned?

I wouldn't leave them for my children to just throw away when I'm gone. What a waste! There must be many children who have few books of their own and having one or two of yours to enjoy might make a big difference to their literacy.

Apart from putting them out for people to help themselves, it might be worth approaching a food bank to see if they would take a few at a time, or a local church with outreach projects as well as schools (perhaps those in less well off areas). At least you could feel that some of the books might go to homes where they are appreciated.

I sell some on eBay, ones that don’t sell are given to the local fete of charity shops (some are taking them, Red Cross was one). Ask your local food bank if they would like them they sometimes es have games etc for children.

I have thousands of books. Many from my childhood.

My family knows these books will stay with me until I'm 6ft under

One of my daughters has said she'll take them and keep them

The thought of someone boxing them.up and demanding I get rid has filled me with horror!

As an aside, a friend of mine has just sold some old Winnie the Pooh books for a very nice sum

I have used "webuyanybook" and everything went smoothly.
Why not keep a few select books as memories and take the rest to a charity shop.

I kept my old Bunty annuals, 1960 onwards. Loved them, my big Christmas present each year. 7/6d

DD, although a keen reader, was never that interested in them, and DGD, another keen reader, even less so.

They are still in a box in the loft, very well read, tatty spines, loose pages, but I look at them now and again and am instantly transported back to being about 7 years old! Can remember the stories so well.

I will not get rid of them, not yet anyway.

It might be one box in the loft destined for the skip in the fullness of time.

If the books are clean and in a decent condition, then might it be worth offering them to a local primary school? Either for their library/classrooms or for them to give away to children/parents, who might be glad to have them. This could be appreciated in the current difficult financial circumstances many schools & people are facing.

Just a note of caution about ‘recycling’ books.

Our council tells you to put them in your general waste bin, they are not suitable for paper recycling, the quality of paper and the printed matter is a no no.

Sometimes really old, brown papered, tatty books just need binning, though it seems a shame when they were much loved childhood books.

As for DIL’s and other family members ‘helping’ you to de-clutter, yes, I’m sure they are trying to pre-empt having heaps to do when we are no longer here.

I certainly go through my stuff much more, and car boot, charity shop, give away, throw out things that I have hung on to for years, as I tell myself, “What will DD and DS do with this eventually? “

A big skip down the drive is the answer, and I may as well save them the task. Also, when it’s gone, you really don’t miss it.

It’s sad to hear people talk of burning books or throwing them into landfill. There’s one of the dedicated Oxfam book shops near us, and it’s always busy with enthusiasts browsing and buying. It smells musty and dusty but is a treasure trove for the many people out there who actually value old and unusual books. They also sell online. And Oxfam offer a free service for people to send donations, including books, from their local Collect+ point. There is a maximum weight of 10kg per bag though.

I’m finally bracing myself to donate the 70+ old children’s annuals I’ve been storing for years for sentimental reasons, and Oxfam have said they’d be delighted to take them. They are all saleable, from just £1 to around £35, but I’d rather not have the hassle of selling them myself via eBay etc. What I would never do is dump something that others can use and value.

A huge thanks to everyone who took the time to help me. I really appreciate your help and advice. I even felt better by getting it off my chest.

I am now looking at several options. If all else fails I will take them to the Oxfam book bank. If they don't get sold they are used in sustainable ways.

Thanks again

I got rid of a load of books including some childrens ones to local care homes. Might be worth giving a few a call and asking. Otherwise put them on freegle ad a job lot.

Our local supermarkets accept books,Tesco and Sainsburys.
Also you could offer them to the local schools/librarys even childrens hospitals.
Good luck with the clearout.

I help to run a small library and it is difficult to convince people that we can't take their old, foxed and dirty books for the library. Often people are moving and have several boxes of books like this to 'donate' I understand that people don't want to throw books away but sometimes recycling is the only way to go.

I wouldn’t want anyone presuming to ‘declutter’ for me! There’s a point where trying to be helpful can easily overlap into bossy interference.

We have quite a few of dds’ children’s books, which I’m keeping for Gdcs when their reading’s up to it - the eldest is more or less there now. Those for younger children have been kept for reading to them when they’re staying.

I take newish paperbacks that aren’t ‘keepers’ to charity shops - recent titles are still popular AFAIK. I wouldn’t take anything very old or tatty - those will go in the bin.

As regards the eventual house-clearing after we’ve both popped our clogs, I’ve made a list for Dds of anything of more than minor value that’d be worth selling (or keeping if they wanted to) - for everything else, I’ve told them just to get a house clearance firm in.
Having had to do it myself, I don’t want them having all that effort, not to mention the emotional stress of having to get rid of very sentimental but cash-worthless items that nobody has room for.

The charity shops round my way were picky about books eg some only took paperbacks, others wouldn’t take non-fiction but all my books were ‘rehomed’ eventually.

Another place that took them was a local rotary club that holds regular book sales.

Thanks for these ideas. I will certainly follow some of them up.

Why is it that children always talk to one about downsizing? Being childfree it's not a problem for me but I don't understand why they need to interfere. I suspect, judging by what some of my friends say, it's because they don't want a house full of stuff to have to deal with when you are no longer with us.

If you are going to get rid of some of your books, do check for first editions. My DH visited an English couple here (who apparently worked for MI5) and he saw first editions of the James Bond novels which can be worth a lot if the end papers and covers are intact.

I was going to say that. You value the books so you keep them. DiL can do what she likes with them when you're gone. Meanwhile, enjoy reading them and remembering.

If you put them back then when you are gone they are going to be thrown away.

If suitable I would put them outside of your house with a sign saying help yourself.

Some National Trust properties have a second hand book shop. I divided my late husband's huge theology library between NT and Oxfam.

One of our local NT properties has a second hand book shop, and are always grateful for donations, I’m not sure if that’s a National thing.

It used to be a real cheap treat for my daughter and I if we could find a few secondhand books to read, when she was little.
It gave us something to look forward to, cost pence, and meant we were at least doing something.

We'd plan our weekend around the book reading, eat something nice and cheap! and lose ourselves.
We didntworry about the condition of the books, as long as it was legible.

All the charity shops near me take books.
You could also try freecycle or offer for free on Facebook Marketplace. I have got rid of a lot of stuff on FB Marketplace - I don't charge as find you either have no interest or people argue about the price or want you to take the item to them.

The Red Cross book shops take old books. If they won't take them, advertise them on Freecycle. Or go to an auction room with them and see if they will sell them for you.

Books do date and especially for children, the books need to be up to date. Even new editions of Enid Blyton books have been modernised.

I've sold books through Ziffit and We Buy Books. To use their websites you need books that have barcodes, which older books won't have. They also want them in quite good condition.

You could make a list and email them with the details and they will let you know if they are interested in any and what they will pay for them (don't expect much unless you have something uncommon). Their websites explain all the details.

these are not just books, they are memories of past happy times.
keep them if you wish to, the choice is yours.
I have just taken books and dvds to a charity shop and they did accept them, but they were in good condition with white pages, many do go an off putting brown colour, and they may not accept those?