Following on a bit from my other thread, over the years I've built up an enormous library of sheet music and teaching materials, but the more I look at it, the more I realise that I don't use half of it. I'm lucky that at the moment I've got enough room to store it all, but that might not always be the case.

It's an interesting question isn't it? Whilst our pupils might use a lot of the books, do we actually use them? (i.e. we show them our copy, they buy their own, ours goes back in the shelf) Quite often, I'll have bought an alternative piece for an exam and after that, the book's never seen the light of day again (and the pupil probably didn't use it anyway!) - now of course with YouTube and to a certain extent with the AB downloads, we can now listen to all the pieces before choosing/buying.

I suppose I'm thinking mainly piano because I don't need books for accompanying. Obviously, duets, exercises, technique books etc. are all useful, and I'd still want to have copies of tutor books (though where possible I buy the versions without the CD!). OK, it's nice to be able to go and browse to find something suitable for a pupil, but even after browsing, the book just goes back in the shelf. I'd probably better spend the money making an occasional trip to a big and really decent music shop (if any still exist!).

Obviously it's nice to be able to have things which we can just pull out too use on an occasional basis (they've finished what we're doing, they've left their music at home etc.; duets etc. too), but do I really need my own copies of Up-Grade!, Step it Up!, Piano Time Pieces, Music Through Time, Time Pieces etc. etc. After all, I'm not likely to play them. Of course, with Musicroom and Amazon, you can now 'look inside' a lot of these books. Having had them all, I know what they're like now.

It's taken me 10 years to realise that I've probably been too generous in gathering together lots and lots of books so that pupils have a wide choice. Anyway, I'm just wondering what others do (personally I'm sensing a big clearout on the horizon for me)

When I read the title of this thread, I thought you were taking the opportunity to offload all your unwanted books onto unsuspecting new teachers!

To answer the question, I don't keep my own copies of a lot of these books, although I'm familiar with them and will recommend them to pupils - or give them several recommendations to choose from and suggest they visit a music shop to leaf through some books and see what appeals (which I think is a useful experience in itself, and better than spoon-feeding).

On the shelves of my teaching room I have a wide range of reference books, aural tests / exercises, sight-reading, duets and technical exercises, plus all my own music, but not that many educational repertoire books. I do pick these up sometimes, but tend to sell them on.

I also encourage pupils to make their own suggestions of what they would like to learn, particularly after they've worked hard towards an exam (for example). The only stipulation is that the level must be appropriate; sometimes they introduce me to new music (arrangements of chart hits, etc.) this way.

In addition I encourage pupils of higher grades to listen to as many pieces as they can on youtube, and to make notes to help with the final question of the aural tests or their GCSE / A-level music.

That's a good idea then in 10 years, they can ask the same question

I have to ask, though; surely you weren't filling in tax returns ten years ago? Weren't you still in short trousers then?

Not far off

How about turning it all into a sight reading library? Then students who haven't played those books in the past and who are a few grades on can check them out each week and play through them.

It still is worthwhile having your own copies of the ones you use the most. I don't mean the current state of affairs, but the time I decided I to sell my copy of Pianotime book 1 to a pupil as "they always bring it... don't they?' The next week somebody decided to leave their copy at home! So the basic tutor books, the very ones people are started on a complete set on the shelves is a good idea.

Similarly with sight reading material keep a complete set of that in... it gets left at home. However I do understand not wanting umteen anthologies of low level pieces when that shelf space could be filled with beautiful Henle Verlang Editions of stuff you actually want to play.

I tend to keep copies of all the main tutor books I teach from, precisely for the same reason as Jod. A couple of years back, I bought a collection of piano books from a retiring teacher. They have proved very valuable, when I want to include completely new material in my lessons. Also, there is a whole section on technical work, including pedalling, which has proved invaluable. It is also very helpful to have a significant choice of sight reading too. All I need now, is a bookcase to store it all in tidily.

I'm not suggesting I'll get rid of the lot, but if space were limited, something would have to go, meaning I'd have to decide which were the most valuable things to retain (which I would have thought should be the things used most often).

I am an inveterate music teaching materials cleptomaniac. The result is that I have far too much material and can never find the book I want. the sitting space in my study gets smaller every year. I have catalogued quite a bit of it and that is an on going job which gets a sort of never-manage-to-finish-it update every summer holiday.

I have taken the good resolution that I am going to sort it all and take it into school where I will use it as a lending out library - properly ticketed so Ii don't lose stuff. But don't ask me when I will get this mammoth task done.

I have even, in moments of depression, wondered who on earth I could bequeath it to !!

I don't think you mean cleptomaniac or even kleptomaniac? Unless you have stolen all your teaching materials...

Oh dear! what is the right word then? there must be one because honestly I haven't nicked them all!! My brain isn't functionning too well today after a mind blowing 16 exams yesterday!!

.....