I recently lost my dad, who was a well-regarded systems and security engineer at a major aerospace company. He left behind a collection of Cisco books, and I'm unsure what to do with them. Are they too outdated to be useful, or would they be better donated to a library or something?
7 Answers
There are lots of organizations that accept book donations, so that could be an option too. BetterWorldBooks, for example, has a donation program if you're looking for a straightforward way to get them into the hands of others.
You could totally use them as monitor stands! I have a couple of old tech books under my monitor right now. It’s a funny way to give them a second life. Plus, some of that content can still be pretty interesting even if it's dated!
LOL, for sure! It's amazing how much we hold onto these things.
You could always try selling them on eBay. There’s a niche market out there for older technical books, especially if someone is working on legacy systems or projects. I’ve had success looking for older guides myself!
Hmm, that's a good idea. I’ll give it a shot!
Keep a few! Going through them can be a nice way to remember your dad. It’s like flipping through old photo albums, and the nostalgia can be really comforting. Maybe just keep some of the special ones that remind you of him.
Some folks actually collect vintage tech manuals, and museums might appreciate them too. If you can, reach out to local tech museums! They often love getting their hands on historical materials, especially if you can share the background about your dad's career.
Many libraries often don’t take outdated technical books for donations, especially if they're certification guides, as those can become obsolete quickly. If you think about it, some general books on routing or switching might still hold some learning value, but definitely not for current learning trends. You might want to check eBay for possible resale!
Yeah, that's what I've been fearing. They might just turn me away for being too old!
Honestly, if the books are more than 5-6 years old, I’d say just toss them in the recycling bin. Libraries often prefer keeping their collections current. It's a tough call, but tech ages fast!
Thanks for the tip!
Great, I’ll look into that!