To Weed Or Not To Weed? That Is The Question

Christinabean and I having been having a hectic week, what with her moving and me at a family funeral, so we haven't had much time for reading and reviewing. But I did have some thoughts I wanted to share with you, and these concern weeding.  No, I'm not talking about the garden type of weeding, I'm talking about weeding books.

Those of you who are involved in the library world will know what I'm talking about, but for those of you who aren't familiar with the term, it basically means throwing out the old to make room for the new.  Some people find this really easy to do with books, and I will admit that at work I have no problem at all.  At home though, that is a whole different ball game.

I have ten bookcases (yep, that's 10) and they are all full.  Many of them with books in double rows and stacked vertically so I can fit more in - know what I mean?  One of those bookcases has all my embroidery books, but apart from a couple of other shelves, the rest are all my fiction.  Every now and again I pull a few older titles out, if I know I'm not going to read them again, but it's like parting with your children - only worse (the kids keep coming back!).

My husband has finally put his foot down and has said 'no more bookshelves'.  I don't think it's fair myself - I don't tell him no more tools - but I have to admit that my books take up a lot more room than his tools do.  So my problem is this.  If I want to keep buying new books I have to get rid of some of the old ones.  I'm practically in tears at the thought of it.  I have been taking a few copies in to work to sell on the book cart, but it is soooooooooo difficult. I even bought an e-reader so that I wouldn't have to buy so many hard copies, but now, if I read an e-arc that I really enjoy I go out and buy myself a copy to keep - yeah, yeah, I know, don't say it!

So I would like your advice.  At what point do you decide it's ok to part with a book.  Is it age, condition, relevance or some other secret formula that I haven't yet worked out?  I know I have to be strong, and I reckon that if I haven't re-read something in ten years, I probably won't, but at the same time I know that 2 months afer I get rid of them I'll decide I want to read them again.  As I said - to weed, or not to weed, that is the question?  HELP!