The fate of books
Since all the health stuff has been wobbly again, I'm really worried about what will happen to my books when I'm gone. Ok, I'm not dead yet, don't worry--but I would like to be prepared at least.
You see, the biggest problem is that most of the books in my library are in English and they are nonfiction, and many of them are academic/reference works. Very few people in Finland would actually buy them. I wouldn't have any problem at all if I lived in the UK--I'd just donate them to charity shops or even organisations, maybe universities, stuff like that. I've got nice collections of various Oriental studies things, for instance.
The Pagan organisation I used to be active in had a library--I haven't been active with them for over a decade now, though, so I don't know if that library is still in operation and which poor sod now has to deal with all those books. I mean, it's always a PITA when small organisations try to handle stuff like that--it's hard enough to find storage space as it is, and people who are into mystical stuff tend to be book hoarders anyway.
I just--it just feels like a waste to have all this stuff in Finland, so I don't know if I should just arrange for it all to be carted to the UK or something, but that would cost an arm and a leg. And I don't really know anyone in Finland who could take on the responsibility of selling all the English ones on eBay or something, or giving them away to the right sorts of people. And I fucking well wouldn't want them to ever end up in the hands of the antiquarians of Lahti because at least two are fucking Neo-Nazis. *shudder* I feel nauseous at the idea of my books benefiting people who are, to be blunt, evil. I want the books--so many of which fall under cultural studies, and not those of Western cultures either--to enlighten people and to expand their horizons.
*sigh* I don't know. I'm not even being morbid or anything, but books are *important,* you know?
You see, the biggest problem is that most of the books in my library are in English and they are nonfiction, and many of them are academic/reference works. Very few people in Finland would actually buy them. I wouldn't have any problem at all if I lived in the UK--I'd just donate them to charity shops or even organisations, maybe universities, stuff like that. I've got nice collections of various Oriental studies things, for instance.
The Pagan organisation I used to be active in had a library--I haven't been active with them for over a decade now, though, so I don't know if that library is still in operation and which poor sod now has to deal with all those books. I mean, it's always a PITA when small organisations try to handle stuff like that--it's hard enough to find storage space as it is, and people who are into mystical stuff tend to be book hoarders anyway.
I just--it just feels like a waste to have all this stuff in Finland, so I don't know if I should just arrange for it all to be carted to the UK or something, but that would cost an arm and a leg. And I don't really know anyone in Finland who could take on the responsibility of selling all the English ones on eBay or something, or giving them away to the right sorts of people. And I fucking well wouldn't want them to ever end up in the hands of the antiquarians of Lahti because at least two are fucking Neo-Nazis. *shudder* I feel nauseous at the idea of my books benefiting people who are, to be blunt, evil. I want the books--so many of which fall under cultural studies, and not those of Western cultures either--to enlighten people and to expand their horizons.
*sigh* I don't know. I'm not even being morbid or anything, but books are *important,* you know?