If you're following "traditional Irish custom", you may be celebrating today by wearing green, eating some corned beef hash, and washing it down with a pint of green beer. But, just for a moment, think about your book collection. Your print books, I mean.
The reason I mention them is because I've recently had to throw away many of my old favorites that I'd had in storage. Unfortunately, the rats and other critters got to them and made a fine mess, as well as a few nests, out of them. What few volumes I could save are in poor shape, which made me realize something.
Yes, I love to hold a book in my hands and smell the pages. Nothing compares to the scent that wafts your way when you enter an old bookstore filled with volumes of used and new books. But, because of lack of space to keep them all in the house, I had to box up the majority of mine and put them away.
Now that I'm retired, I decided to clear out the clutter at the storage facility, and that's when I discovered the travesty. Yet, all was not lost. I was able to download most of the ones I'd lost as ebooks. Most, but not all. Furthermore, I saved them on both a CD disk and my backup.
To me, an old book is like mental comfort food. Depending on my mood, I can now go back and find the one I need, and re-read it. Never again do I have to worry about losing it to pests. Or, worse, in a fire.
You've probably heard all the arguments regarding print vs ebooks. And although print will always have a special place in my heart, I'm glad there are e-versions as well.
Just something to think about.
So while you're out and about today doing your Irish thing (hey, everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day!), besides wearing and eating green, think green, as well. It won't hurt to start saving an extra copy of your most beloved stories in e-format. Learn a lesson from this old Irish girl, who also married an Irishman.
As they say in the homeland: May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.
(Bunratty Castle in Ireland, picture courtesy of the Travel Channel.)
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Coming Soon!
Every Battle Lord's Nightmare
Book 6 of the Battle Lord Saga
http://lindamooney.com/BattleLord.htm
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