What did you do with your old college textbooks?

[Ivan Seeking]

Many years ago, as the internet was coming of age, I burned over 500 pounds of technical manuals. I realized I can look things up on the internet faster than I can find something in a technical manual. And just about anything I might need could be found online.

But letting go of my several shelves worth of college text and other science books is another matter. I can't bring myself to get rid of them but there is very little if anything I can't find online now. Books are heavy and a pain to move. I see no reason so keep them.

As one page said to the other, I am torn.

 

[berkeman]

I've kept some of my core EE textbooks, as well as other EE-related textbooks that I bought after school (for my work). I've kept a couple of my intro Physics textbooks, as well as all of my medic-related textbooks. I did get rid of my large collection of component databooks that I used in my EE work, since as you say that information is now very available online. I hung onto my TI digital logic databook (with the yellow cover) for a long time though, since it was the first such databook I ever owned (we were required to buy it in undergrad for my first digital logic class). It is gone now, though.

One of my current textbook shelves:

 

[jrmichler]

I've kept some of my core EE textbooks, as well as other EE-related textbooks that I bought after school (for my work). I've kept a couple of my intro Physics textbooks, as well as all of my medic-related textbooks. I did get rid of my large collection of component databooks that I used in my EE work, since as you say that information is now very available online.

Same here, except ME.

 

[fresh_42]

I still use them. When I have a book, I prefer looking things up there rather than searching the internet. I have gathered many original files from the internet: Newton (Latin and English), Gauß, Einstein, Noether, and a couple more. I am a gatherer, and having those historical documents is a nice opportunity in modern times. When I look at my shelves, I see piled books and dozens of bookmarks lurking. I assume that many of them stem from insight articles I wrote. I even have some very old books I once saved from being destroyed. One of them is titled Textbook of Theoretical Physics from 1945. Well, I think it is too old to look things up, but I can't throw away books. And they are meanwhile too used to selling them.

 

[fresh_42]

Same here, except ME.
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My "like" was for Garfield, of course!