Having so many books that you may never find the time to read is not a sign of failure. Simply having a library of information that you can potentially learn from is so valuable to your capabilities as a thinker. Jessica Stillman addressed the benefits of owning more books than you can read, stating, “By living with that reminder daily [having many books] you can nudge yourself toward the kind of intellectual humility that improves decision-making and drives learning.” [1] It’s important to maintain the same sense of curiosity you have when you look at your entire book collection as you do when you open an individual book. Instead of worrying about the books you never touch, remember how much information you have taken in and allow it to motivate you for more. Stillman also referenced the Dunning–Kruger effect – those with a lack of knowledge are more outwardly confident than those who doubt what they know. Why shouldn’t you flaunt your unread books? They are an access point for more knowledge! *Tsundoku* is the Japanese word for this concept – literally meaning “to pile up reading material.” Kevin Mims wrote a piece on *tsundoku* in The New York Times and said, “The sight of a book you’ve read can remind you of the many things you’ve already learned. The sight of a book you haven’t read can remind you that there are many things you’ve yet to learn.” [2] I think it’s natural to hold books to a higher standard than most media as a source to learn from. To a certain extent, the books you own are a representation of your mind and thought process. You should appreciate and awe at how far your library has come. [1] https://entrylevelrebel.medium.com/why-you-should-surround-yourself-with-more-books-than-youll-ever-have-time-to-read-aeb9cca212a4 [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/08/books/review/personal-libraries.html

**Books can hold importance to someone simply by their accumulation and presence. But they are meant to be engaged with, not hoarded or used to project the illusion of being intelligent or well-read.** - The word 'important' is assumedly referring to the 'importance' of the book/s [to the individual] (https://impoff.com/importance-of-books/). As has already been commented here, there is something to be said for surrounding yourself with information and interesting ideas. But I don't think it's controversial to say that actually reading the books and engaging with their ideas will foster more of an 'importance'. - Having lots of books that you haven't read is not as important (to you, in terms of your engagement with their ideas and information) as having a few that you have read & which hold great significance to you. - Surrounding yourself with books can be a purely aesthetic choice, not one that necessarily indicates interest in their content — they can easily be mass-accumulated to be used as decor or to project images of self-importance.

**Having a good supply of books can be beneficial, but not essential.** - Being surrounded by books in your living space can encourage a person to eventually read them, however it can also be overwhelming to hoard more than one can realistically expect to read. - Books can be very expensive and purchasing them is not an option for everyone. - There are other cheaper and more sustainable means to read books such as loaning them from a library. - Supporting the library industry is important in my opinion, however so is supporting authors by purchasing their work. - I agree that books are there to be read, not hoarded with no intention of reading them. - Such hoards could be donated to those who need them. - However, for some where books are a huge part of their daily life or career, being surrounded by the thing they love and are passionate about can be in some sense as important as reading them. - I appreciate that many people don’t feel the need to read books more than once but see value in holding onto them.