If someone is sure they want to get rid of their paper books, if they can find a library that will stock them, that might minimize regrets.<p>After grad school, it was looking like I'd have a lean move (ended up only owning two suitcases, a few boxes, and a futon), but I was a books person. At work, my office had neat shelves of technical books, and at home, my living room had neat shelves of fiction and other non-work topics.<p>Since I felt I couldn't haul my books on this next move, I ended up selling some of my more rare technical books, and the rest of my books I donated to a branch of the local public library.<p>I later heard that libraries often don't have much use for donations, and often sell them.<p>A few years later, I was in the mood to read some science fiction, but no longer owned a collection, and wasn't about to start building a new one. So I went to the public library branch. I find they have a collection of well-worn books, and... it's pretty much my old collection, which was like-new when donated (I read without cracking the spine, etc.). Which meant that a lot of people got some use out of the books, and maybe it was positive formative for some kids.<p>I decided that was a good use. And every time I wish I had some technical book I sold, I remember the donated SF books that got read, and I don't feel bad.<p>I only recently resumed buying books (as ebooks): <a href="https://www.neilvandyke.org/ebooks/" rel="nofollow">https://www.neilvandyke.org/ebooks/</a> Ebooks aren't going to be a conversation-starter in my office or living room, but I can read them, and they don't further complicate the crazy rental housing situation here. Ebooks also won't be a burden to my heirs (hopefully many decades away) to dispose of, though an unresolved question is how to let heirs inherit ebooks that they want to.