SKF NOTE: Ten years ago, preparing to move out of a house I’d owned for 30 years to a much smaller place, I had to let go (sell, donate, gift) lots of accumulated “stuff.” In the end, except for about 20 LP’s, I parted with my large vinyl album collection and cassette collection. Mostly I was listening to either digital music or CDs.

Another ten years has passed and I’m contemplating another move to a smaller place. I don’t see how I can bring with me all my CDs and books. I’m wondering how, as painlessly as possible, I can reduce my collection to its essentials.

My age is a consideration in my winnowing process.

See this box of music CDs? Have you digitized them?

Yes.

Good. Have you made digital backup copies of all your music?

Yes.

Then the only part of the CDs you’d really part with are the accompanying liner notes, not the recorded music. For me, the liner notes are a big deal. Historical information. Mini music books.

The one element for losing music and books I cannot guard against is Old Man Time.

The books in my collection I’ve already read? Will I read them again? And those books I bought to read someday? Will I ever read them? Finally, my reference library books. Will I continue relying, now and into the future, on the internet for references? Or am I likely to crack open at some point these old reference books?

My music CDs? I still buy and listen quite often to new music. That is, music new to me. Even if I wanted to listen again to every CD in my collection, and to every digital album I own, I’m not sure I’d live long enough.

Maybe acknowledging my time constraint is what makes it hard to say goodbye to my music and books. If I don’t respond to the time constraint, maybe it will go away? Nah.

Fortunately, I don’t have to decide today. Soon. But not today.