A beginner's insights on building a library

I remember from an early age that I was someone not so inclined to the practice of reading. I was far-too-busy living in the moment, climbing trees, executing missions on the playground, and scoring goals on the soccer field.

If my mind wasn't on sports, it was on games. If it wasn't on games, it was focused on hanging out with friends. At the bottom of this hierarchy of needs was the interest to read.

I believe my interest in these stories was rooted in my love of history, the documentation of the present for the future's understanding.

One of my first encounters with a book was the Magic Treehouse collection. It's funny how my first books ever read were adventures with history. This theme would set the stage for my reading list thereafter. I believe my interest in these stories was rooted in my love of history, the documentation of the present for the the future's understanding.

After a few Magic Treehouse books in grade school, I began a deep dive into World War 2 history between 6th and 8th grade. I had a deep-set interest in the material on this conflict because of it's in-depth documentation and widespread impact on present-day culture.

In writing this blog, I'm coming to the realization that I might have been a little bit of a nerd! I'm sure there are countless bystanders that can confirm this diagnosis, but perhaps that's best left to a podcast conversation.

Fast-forward to present day, I am in the midst of my newest project: building a personal library. It is something I didn't know I wanted, but it is now something that I need in my life.

Here are some thing I have learned about building a personal catalogue of reading:

1. Investing: Building a library can be little expensive, but if you time your entry, you can navigate around those extra costs.

Buying books new can be expensive. While some may see this as a reason to turn down the practice of building, I see it as an investment opportunity. With any investment, buy at the right time when the price is right! Many books go on sale on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Some books even have PDF's online that cost little, if any money at all

If you're still challenged to find a better deal, walk over to your local Salvation Army. You are bound to find a book or two that fits your tastes and interests for a fraction of the cost of a new book.

2. Renting vs. Buying: Would you renovate a rented house?

A natural line of questioning from newcomers to reading will sound something like this: "But Connor, why would I buy a book when I can just check out a book from my local library?"‍

To this, I answer: Great point! Here's the way I see it:

1. Let's say you find an awesome house. It's the perfect size for you and your roommate. It's the right price, and it's in a great location. Here's the catch: this house is for rent, not for purchase.

a. Hypothetically, let's say that's not a big deal, so you sign the lease and rent the house for the year. Over the course of the next 12 months, you and your roommate make awesome memories in this house and end up falling in love with it. By the time the lease is up, you're leaving with a lighter wallet without any physical value in return and now you're moving a new place instead of staying in the one that you like. All those renovations or fixes you made to the home no longer belong to you! Was it smart to renovate the house knowing you were never going to own it?

‍b. As Point #1 states, building your library is an investment. How do you invest like a pro? Research! Go get that library card and check out the books that interest you. Read a few chapters to see if it's worth your time. When you find one that you like, buy it.

‍Unlike renting library books, which cannot be marked up, when you buy a book, you have the ability to mark it up however you want. This is going to build equity in your investment. Not only do you have the author's insights, but you have the margin notes and highlights, the reader's insights.

a. These annotations will help you reference material in the future. The value of a library isn't just as a warehouse for books, it is a catalogue of information, both from authors and from readers. Buy the book, build up reference equity, then move on to point 3...

3. Building a library is equal parts reading and writing

a. After reading books, most users will leave their highlights and margin notes to rest within the confines of bound pages. The key to building value into your your library is to get those annotations into a system that catalogues that information.

b. When we can get this information in a universal Slip box (Niklas Luhmann) on a consistent basis (daily or weekly, thought I choose the latter), we give ourselves the chance at effortless, context-oriented knowledge generation.2. The only way for readers to tap into what they read, they must first write down or about what they have read.

Retention = Reference + Recitation

This equation requires that readers of nonfiction write down - in Notion, Word, Google Docs, or some other medium - not only what they read but also their thoughts and ideas as they came to them in the reading of the material.

As a general assumption, readers of nonfiction are looking to acquire insights or understanding about a topic. Some people want to know more about productivity while for others nutrition, exercise, finances, or skill building are of high interest. Whatever the use case may be, all readers in this genre should thoughtfully ask themselves, "What have I learned from what I have read in the last year?"

If you're having a hard time sifting through the internal catalogue of poorly filed information in your brain, perhaps it's time to invest some effort into a physical knowledge database.

Document your present insights for your future's understanding.

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