An update on a preliminary decision regarding the issue I mentioned yesterday. I basically decided to follow the previously existing rule of thumb that the system of my TBR goals mostly exists to help me not let books purchased for future reading slip out of my mind, as well as to plan the number of pages I need to read daily to meet deadlines for ARCs and library check-outs. I wouldn’t add books that “I have to read anyway” for work (e.g., secondary literature for my research) in advance; I’ll add them once I actually start reading to track progress. This is how I’ve used the setup for months now — just adding that to clarify I’m not really bending the system much for this new situation.
So, what I decided to do is add all the titles I’m planning to read (or reread) throughout the semester, with approximate dates by which I need to finish them (a week ahead of the class for which I need them). This will help with planning daily page counts and ensuring I stay on top of things. But they’ll contribute to goals like total pages on my TBR only after I actually acquire the item (purchase or check out), and for older classics in the public domain that I’ll simply download online — once I start reading. In essence, this is really similar to how I’ve been using the system previously, only now I’ve added these titles as “ghost items” to facilitate page count planning before they’re properly added. (That’s over 7000 pages, BTW — will be even slightly more, as I am still deciding on two-three titles. But 7 of those books (~1500-2000 pp.) are something I read relatively recently, so I hope to only need a quick flip through.)