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I have some books that I don't want, but I'm not sure how to dispose of them properly.

Let's start with the worst case:

- poorly-written book
- expressing potentially harmful ideas
- by an objectionable author

One example might be Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. I think I have to hold on to it because even though I hate it now, it was important to my political evolution. But let's say I decide I need the shelf space, and it's time to say goodbye.

What is the most ethical way to get rid of it?

  • Destroy it (54%, 12 votes)
  • Give it away (13%, 3 votes)
  • Sell it (13%, 3 votes)
  • Something else (explain) (18%, 4 votes)
22 voters. Poll end: 1 anno fa

in reply to Nelson

smallsolar
smallsolar
• •
a piece of art? Wallpaper? découpage?
in reply to smallsolar

Nelson
Nelson
• •
@smallsolar I think this counts as destroying the book, but art projects are a reasonable method of reuse.
@smallsolar
in reply to Nelson

smallsolar
smallsolar
• •
fair point though my initial thought was destroying it was more of an obliteration kind of thing 😂
in reply to Nelson

GrayGooGlitch :v_lesbian:
GrayGooGlitch :v_lesbian:
• •
Is it the last copy of any of these books? If not, it's completely fine to destroy it. Depriving someone of access to bad information is a good thing.
in reply to GrayGooGlitch :v_lesbian:

Nelson
Nelson
• •

@GrayGooGirl Yeah, it's just a rehashing of the moderation debate we're familiar with on Mastodon, isn't it? Some of my difficulty is that I love books as physical objects; it's emotionally more difficult than blocking a shitty server.

And real libraries have to trim their collections and destroy books all the time. But they usually try other things first.

Also reminds me of deletionism vs. inclusionism in Wikipedia. Physical books are different, but historically I've opposed deletionism.

@GrayGooGlitch :v_lesbian:
in reply to Nelson

GrayGooGlitch :v_lesbian:
GrayGooGlitch :v_lesbian:
• •
From a preservation standpoint, I can understand not wanting to remove a thing entirely from existence, but I think it makes sense to erect barriers in front of it if said thing is harmful. That argument doesn't translate well to fediblock stuff because the harm is not contained, it's persistent and dynamic. Sure adding a barrier can help, but the forces at play there can find ways around those barriers. There is a malevolence in people that doesn't carry over to print.
in reply to Nelson

Elena ``of Valhalla''
Elena ``of Valhalla''
•
@Nelson Chu Pavlosky give it to somebody you know wants to read it to be able to better refute it (so that they can avoid buying a new copy) instead of being influenced towards hateful ideas.
@Nelson
in reply to Elena ``of Valhalla''

Nelson
Nelson
• •

I don't know how to find someone like that. I don't have a lot of friends who want to critique e.g. Atlas Shrugged, most people don't want to pour toxic sludge into their brains for funsies.

Giving away a toxic book while making sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands seems pretty challenging. Most of my easiest options, like sticking it in a Little Free Library, seem actively unsafe.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 anno fa)
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Nelson
Nelson
• •

Ha, the parallels are a bit rough, but let's imagine a poorly made Confederate uniform costume produced by some right-wing jerk.

I would not hesitate to break it down for parts; given that it's poor quality, maybe it could become stuffing in a quilt.

What's different between clothes and books? I guess I have stronger impulses towards reuse with clothing, maybe I should get serious about the creative book reuses commenters are suggesting.

Fascists ban clothing as often as books.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 anno fa)
Unknown parent

Nelson
Nelson
• •

@travissouthard These options definitely destroy the book! Thank you for the reuse ideas 🙂

Are you sure the hamsters wouldn't somehow become Objectivists, though? I worry about their little minds.

@Travis Southard
in reply to Nelson

Nelson
Nelson
• •

Now ponder what I consider a thornier question:

- well-written book
- with valuable insights
- by a living person currently promoting harmful ideology

Actual authors on my bookshelf include:

- Orson Scott Card (homophobe)
- Richard K. Morgan (transphobe)

Also not sure about Frank Miller, Tony Robbins, or Chuck Palahniuk.

Suppose the book itself is fine, or even mostly positive. But the author is harmful, and someone may pay for their other work, or be drawn into their ideology.

  • Destroy it (9%, 1 vote)
  • Give it away (54%, 6 votes)
  • Sell it (9%, 1 vote)
  • Something else (explain) (27%, 3 votes)
11 voters. Poll end: 1 anno fa

in reply to Nelson

Lilly I
Lilly I
• •
keep the books but talk about the problem. How does sending it out into the world help anything?
in reply to Lilly I

Nelson
Nelson
• •

@gleemie I will keep at least some of these books for some time, but nothing lasts forever, including space on my bookshelf.

When and if I do decide to get rid of such a book, what is the most ethical way to dispose of it?

@Lilly I
in reply to Nelson

Lilly I
Lilly I
• •
donate it to the library shop if you've got one, it a thrift store if you don't. Profiting from a problem seems bad
in reply to Lilly I

Nelson
Nelson
• •

@gleemie That's a fair stance to take, and I may agree, but exactly why is it bad to take money for the book?

You could see it as a tax on people who want to read it, and perhaps donate the money to a cause the author opposes.

If it's bad for me to sell it, why is it ok for the library or thrift store to sell it?

@Lilly I
in reply to Nelson

Lilly I
Lilly I
• •

actually I just thought of this: write a note at the start of the book explaining the issue. Give it away or sell the annotated edition -- whichever

I lean towards giving away what I don't need for spiritual reasons and reasons of treating the poor with dignity.

in reply to Nelson

Lilly I
Lilly I
• •
I should say my stance on this is informed by Katherine mckittrick's book dear science where she challenges Sara ahmed's approach to problematic work through cutting citation off.
in reply to Nelson

Nicolas Ward :dogcow:
Nicolas Ward :dogcow:
• •
We have a few we kept (Ender also formative) with the intention of contextualizing for kid... why this was a favorite, can you really engage with death of the author, etc. I think he already knows which beliefs are problematic to awful even "for the time". My dad's complete Newbery collection has some real gems in it too 😬
in reply to Nicolas Ward :dogcow:

Nelson
Nelson
• •

@ultranurd But what did you do with the ones you didn't keep?? Keeping all the books is an attractive but unworkable / undesirable approach.

Also interested if you have a different approach with a good book by a bad person vs. a bad book by a bad person.

@Nicolas Ward :dogcow:
in reply to Nelson

Oreo Teeth
Oreo Teeth
• •
Might not be the most ethical thing, but what I landed on is leaving the books in one of those tiny lending library boxes near the park a few blocks from my home.
in reply to Oreo Teeth

Nelson
Nelson
• •

@oreoteeth That's certainly the easiest way to give books away, at least in my neighborhood.

But if someone started financially supporting a bigot because of a book I gave them, or even became a bigot themselves, that seems difficult to ethically accept. I'm not sure I can risk it even with books I think have a largely positive message.

Perhaps it's OK with a written warning in the book, perhaps with commentary on any awful passages. At least the author doesn't get money this time. But I dunno

@Oreo Teeth
in reply to Nelson

Sean M. Collins
Sean M. Collins
• •
I would keep it, if you enjoyed the book, but you don't have to purchase more or recommend it to anyone who hasn't read them yet
in reply to Nelson

Stanley Jones
Stanley Jones
• •
Cryogenically freeze it in the hope that future civilization will develop a cure.
in reply to Nelson

Edmundo
Edmundo
• •
recycling bin. Maybe it’ll become something useful one day, like a notebook.

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