Booked Solid: Some Readers' Cherished Collections Have Nowhere to Grow

The Washington Post ^ | March 23, 2006 | Annie Groer

[Physicist]

Law librarian Rick Ramponi's collection of 3,000 regional cookbooks --including "Talk About Good" from the Lafayette, La., Junior League and "Shalom on the Range," which celebrates southwestern Jewish cuisine -- was manageable while he lived in a large house in Kalorama.

But when he moved to a one-bedroom Dupont Circle apartment with a partner who collects large art and architecture books, Ramponi had to exile those cherished culinary texts to a pair of rented storage units several blocks away.

Since 2002, he has spent more than $5,000 to keep them there, which "may be more than they are all worth," he concedes. "But there is a sentimental attachment and I associate them with places I've been, people I know."

Accountant Jennifer Kimball, who is studying for a master's degree in English, and policy analyst Matt Cail, who has a pair of master's degrees, call themselves "huge bibliophiles." Thus their chief requirement when condo shopping two years ago was enough wall space for shelves to hold their books. Already they have run out of space in their Alexandria flat. "Next year we will start looking for a house to buy that has room for children," she says. And books.

[Smokin' Joe]

Yep.

[1rudeboy]

I am. I was renting an apartment for $950/month, and tried to insure my collection for $10K. The State Farm agent laughed me out of his office. (He's a family friend, so it was ok).

[Tax-chick]

My collection includes two county library systems. I think it's a great dodge, getting the taxpayers to store everything for me!

[humblegunner]

I saw this and somehow thought of you...

[Red Badger]

Pickled Rattlesnake?.........

[tbird5]

NO WAY!!! You have a collection of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series. That is so cool! I have a few yet they are expensive to collect. I have read all his books. You are so lucky and have great taste.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Oh, yes. I have thousands of volumes, many in a storage unit for many years on the far coast.

I can't imagine parting with them. They provide a far better education than the Master's program I was once regrettably enrolled in.

[goldstategop]

I disagree vehemently. My collection of 80s Penguin Classics in old style paperback covers do have sentimental value. Books may age but they never cease to give one pleasure.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[lastchance]

Worst of all Libraries have become Media Centers. Our old library down town was musty, short on space and had signs bragging about the new indoor plumbing. But it was full of books. In quite a variety of subjects both fiction and non fiction.
Then the city built a new media center. Clean, spacious, beautiful offices for the staff, great computer stations and comfortable meeting rooms. But the book content is less than 1/3 of what was held at the old library. They have had to put books in storage. Seems the Architect miscalculated the amount of shelf space needed. Guess that 1 book, 2 book, 3 book concept was not covered in Architectural design school.
I miss the old library. Fortunately the branch library has not been renovated so it still has lots of books for a building its size.

[CaptRon]

I am.

My new thing lately is e-books for my Palm. I always have several books with me and they don't take up shelf space, which I am running out of.

I even have an e-book on my PDA which I'm using as a refernce source for a project which I am writing on my PDA.

[js1138]

I have at least that many books, except many of my shelves are two deep. Most are rescues from garage sales. I hate to see a good book thrown away.

[trimom]

OK, remember, it's my daughter who is brilliant! You have to talk to me in ENGLISH! LOL

[wideawake]

Good point - I own about three months of music and I worry that I'll never have time to fully appreciate it all properly.

And despite the range of my book collection I still continually spend the bulk of my leisure reading time on a short list of books/authors: The Bible, Homer, Virgil, Dante, Aquinas, Shakespeare, Holderlin and Joyce.

[twigs]

I'm so fortunate that my home came with a library.

How did you find that? I would love a house that came with one. I figure I will have a lot of work to do when I find a house with space for one. How do you keep your books clean? Mine get so dusty so quickly. How do libraries do that?

[RikaStrom]

I saw this and somehow thought of you...

Hehehehe. That be me.

Now I'm really glad I got into ebooks too. I checked my online library and I have 1200 ebooks. (rme) I wouldn't have any room for them if they were hardcopy.

BTW, thanks for the help schleping the new bookcases around the other week.

[Larry Lucido]

BOOKMAN: Well, let me tell you something, funny boy. Y'know that little stamp, the one that says "New York Public Library"? Well that may not mean anything to you, but that means a lot to me. One whole hell of a lot.

Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before: Flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. What's this guy making such a big stink about old library books? Well, let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me. Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world, but what about that kid, sitting down, opening a book, right now, in a branch at the local library and finding drawings of pee-pees and wee-wees on the Cat in the Hat and the Five Chinese Brothers?

Doesn't HE deserve better? Look. If you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped! Or: maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld; maybe that's how y'get your kicks. You and your good-time buddies. Well I got a flash for ya, joy-boy: Party time is over. Y'got seven days, Seinfeld. That is one week!

[Malacoda]

I've seen that print somewhere before, and I'd love to get a copy. What is the title?

[Howlin]

most of the attic

We once had friends how had a walk up attic LINED with shelves between ALL the rafters.

I was so damn jealous.

[tx_eggman]

My collection includes two county library systems. I think it's a great dodge, getting the taxpayers to store everything for me!

Yeah, but I can borrow one of yours anytime I want.

[Old Professer]

They're probably used to doubling up.