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Is it really a problem to be solved? As the article mentions, there's no negative association with the word tsundoku in Japan. It seems like having a reserve of

Is it really a problem to be solved? As the article mentions, there's no negative association with the word tsundoku in Japan. It seems like having a reserve of reading material is a good thing; you'll always have something new to read and learn when you * do * have unexpectedly free time. The material will be pre-filtered to subjects you care about and it will be close at hand, minimizing the friction of using those random gaps. I guess one downside is queue prioritization and management, but maybe the piling gives you an opportunity to test the strength of your interest in a subject relative to other items in your queue.

saltcured 8y ago
Well, some of us see an early sign of hoarding in people who stockpile books. Even if someone has the means to grow a large library without interfering in their day to day living, I think there is something sad about large, private libraries and collections where books sit untouched. I compare them to books in a bustling university or community library and think what a shame it is for those resources to waste away like that. My wife and I still haul around some books we acquired during university, which feel like equal part sentimentality and obligation. But, we've re-taken to using our nearby libraries to borrow books, read them, and return them to the stream. When I buy books these days, I read them and then usually set them free somewhere, whether a miniature lend-borrow shelf at work or just loaning them out to anybody I know who might be interested. I don't loan them with an expectation to see them again, but the hope they will get passed along and well used.