I have cleaned out my bookcase, and discovered there were books I guard that I never returned in 3 situations:
1. Not returning public school class literature books or textbooks, from more than 20 years ago.
2. Public Libraries of cities I no longer live in, and are at an International distance from me, from more than 20 years ago.
3. Friends I have lost wayward contact with but I still have books that I STOLE from their bookshelves, from more than 20 years ago.
I feel like this guilt might be preventing me reading, in some ways. I don’t know where to begin to resolve it effectively to return these books, if they need/want/have to be returned.
by mooseyoss
2 Comments
Don’t worry about the public school literature books. There’s no kid who won’t be able to read To Kill a Mockingbird this year because you’re hogging his copy. The textbooks are probably defunct anyway.
Ask your local library if the library books will find their way back if you leave them there. If not the librarians will be able to point you in the right direction.
Your friend’s books you should return if you can. See if you can contact them again through mutual friends or some other way. Could be a good way to renew a relationship. If not, don’t lose too much sleep over it. If they REALLY wanted the book back you would have heard from them by now. If you were friends they would probably understand.
Donate them all to a nursing home, except for the text books. People actually collect those (why? I don’t know either, but I have a friend who does) and see if a used bookstore will take them.