The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning:
How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter
Magnusson
2017
On March 14, 2020 our library, along with all the other libraries in Michigan, closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did I start working from home, but all our sources for book titles suddenly dried up. No ILL, no tips from colleagues that were weeding, no submissions. Holly and I have a few things in the hopper but essentially we ran out of stuff by the first week in April.
I also turned 60 this in April and I had a an epiphany that I won’t be here forever. Combine this moment with a pandemic and the country’s descent into hell and you have all the makings of a first rate panic attack. My kids will be stuck with house full of crap and no idea how to navigate all my belongings.
Essentially, Swedish death cleaning is about not leaving a mess behind for your family. Think more estate planning rather than organizing. Your belongings might be special to you, but not to those that inherit your stuff. Identify and explain what items matter. In addition, provide a road map for your survivors on where and what is important and explain why.
I am starting in our personal library or book shelves in a room that we have totally forgot about. Most belong in the recycle bin, so I thought I would share until we get back to a type of normal. If you are thinking about weeding your home library, think about sending us a few pictures with your comments. Send a few jpg to submit@awfullibrarybooks.net
Mary
June 20, 2020