I am a collector, not a reader.
Although I am fascinated by the art of finding and acquiring rare books, I very rarely read them.
In fact, most of the books I “read” I actually listen to on Audible, which saves a lot of time. If I don’t read, then why do I spend my life chasing books? Well, first it is about the thrill of the hunt, and it can be a big thrill to find a rare book for a good price. Secondly, at this point I have such an impressive library I can’t stop myself from keeping it going! I recently upgraded my HVAC system just to keep up with the rapidly growing size of my book collection. It may sound insane to buy a whole new HVAC system just for the library, but to me it is very reasonable. The last time I had my library appraised for value, it was just over a quarter of a million dollars, and for that kind of money a new climate control system is a small investment to make. With improper humidity and temperature control, this whole collection could be worthless within five years. Since I have my eye on the future, and eventually selling the entire collection for a big payday, I thought that the new HVAC and ventilation system was the only smart move to make. Not only do the books just sit there, and not have to be handled or opened at all, but now they have a better air conditioner than I do! Must be nice.