蔵書整理 / Setting my private library to rights

蔵書整理

　蔵書と言ったら大袈裟かも知れませんが、若い時分から本が好きだったので、これまで蒐めた紙の書籍が4,000冊ほどあります。あらかた、六畳の自室の本棚と押入れと、別にある納戸に収めています。概ねジャンル分けされて、手に取る機会の多い本や、レファレンスとして有用な本は本棚に、そうでもない本は押入れや納戸に、段ボール詰めにして収めています。

　そんなところで、ここ何年か、読書傾向が変わってきました。仕事がらみの理工書を漁る機会が減ってきて、趣味の俳句関係の本を中心に文学書、語学書が増えてきました。そこで、蔵書の配置換えをしようと思い立って、ここ二週間ほどかけて整理して、今日終えました。結構力仕事にもなり疲れもしましたが、1,500冊程並べた本棚は結構壮観で、一人悦に入っています。

　私も世間並みに、電子書籍なども利用するようになりましたし、扱いにも慣れてきましたが、相変わらず、電子書籍で買った本を、あらためて紙の本として買い直すようなアホなことをすることもあり、紙の本への偏愛は一生ものかなと、諦めています。

Setting my private library to rights

Although it might be a stretch to call my stock of books  "my library", I have a collection of around 4,000 books. Because I've enjoyed reading since my youth, I’ve continued collecting them. About 1,500 books are arranged on my bookshelves in my room, which has a six-mat (tatami) area, and the remaining ones are stored in corrugated boxes and stowed away in my closet or another storage area. The books are arranged or stored according to genre. I line up the books on the bookshelves with those which are often picked up or useful as a reference.

Over the last few years, my reading habits have changed. Opportunities to catch work-related science and technology books have decreased, and literature and foreign language books have increased, mainly on haiku-related books. So, I decided to rearrange my books. I re-organized them over the past two weeks, and finally finished today. It was quite hard work and I was tired, but the bookshelf with 1,500 books is impressive to look at. I feel pleased with myself. 

I have come to use e-books regularly, and I am accustomed to reading this way, but sometimes, I buy a book I have bought as an e-book as a paper book again. I know it’s a stupid thing. As a result, I believe that my love for paper books is for a lifetime.