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| Savvy Housekeeping |
I really enjoyed Lauren’s post on weeding back in July. Coincidentally,
I witnessed someone in my neighbourhood weeding out items from their own
personal collection. I passed by a house that had an assortment of books piled up on
their lawn with a sign above reading “Free Books.” As I walked by each day the books never
changed and no one ever picked them up (myself included).
I started thinking about
libraries and weeding and what happens to materials when they’re sent off to
the land of misfit books. As Lauren noted, while weeding may come easy to some
libraries, others may struggle a bit.
One issue is the belief that the item will be sought after
once it has been removed. Every book its
reader, right? Another concern is what
to do with all these old books. Book
sales and donations help to find homes for these gems. Some items, however,
never make it into new hands. Enter the 21 Uses for Old Books.
These are my three favourite uses from this posting. I
believe that some of these ideas could even become artsy programming ideas at a
public library.
Warning: These require
patience and a crafty approach.
eReader Covers: Ever hear a patron say that an eReader is
just not the same as a printed book? Well,
hand them over a weeded book and put that person to work. If the dimensions are right, you can detach
the cover, glue in felt padding, sew in a couple elastic bands, and voila you
have an eReader book cover.
Secret Piggy Bank: This
craft requires you to hollow out the pages in an old hard cover book so as to
create a hidden space for money and other valuables. I personally think this one has potential for
those going to the beach. While you’re taking a dip in the water, thieves will
never think to look in your hardcover copy of War and Peace, secretly
hiding your watch and wallet (oh so clever).
Greeting Cards: I’m
partial to this idea because I come from a family who likes to make their own
cards. One can take the pages of a book
and use them to design a cover or background on a card. This is a really nice
and doable way to personalize greeting cards and can be used for all types of occasions.
Coasters: glue page excerpts onto ceramic tiles and cover with a sleek varnish. A one of a kind housewarming gift! Or, keep them for yourself.
For those still seeking out ideas for weeded books, check
out some of these neat ideas.
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