I just recently got rid of most of my physical books. I finally accepted the reality that the books were just taking up room. They weren't even useful to me. Most were never going to be read again and should I ever need any of them I can just download a copy. Every time I got rid of one I felt like a whole chunk of my memory was being removed. It wasn't easy but I could not deny the situation. I totally understood what the author was going through.
We like to accumulate things but ultimately most is just stuff that gets in the way.
Borges, out of anyone in history, would be the one most against getting rid of your physical books on account of them "taking up room." Anyways, having physical books on a shelf, stacked up on a corner of a room, lying scattered throughout, regardless of whether you will read or re-read them, gives us a healthy reminder of all that we do not know (like the starry heavens above), which is indispensable.
Yeah but I'm not making room for room's sake. my house is not some Scandanavian still life. I have boat loads of tools I need for projects and my wife has baskets of fabric she needs for sewing. It is a matter of choosing between what helps me be productive and grow vs. what is serving as a reminder of where I've been.
We like to accumulate things but ultimately most is just stuff that gets in the way.