Books, Books and More Books

When you visit my home, my love of books is very obvious. I have bookcases throughout my house.

Henry Ward Beecher is quoted as saying, "Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house." He would love my house!

Now, many years later, my love of reading continues and my collection of books keeps growing. The problem is, I am running out of room. You can only have so many bookcases in your home!

Over the years, I have read and collected books on numerous subjects. My love of reading started as a child. Give me a fictional book and I would be consumed by the story. Give me a non-fictional book, and I would absorb the knowledge it contained like a sponge.

There are many reasons why I would never throw out any books:

- an appreciation of the authors work
- our landfill sites do not need books
- there are so many people who could benefit from my used books

So, I started my search for ways to recycle books that I no longer had room for. Here are ways I found to recycle my books:

- the library took some books (some they will use and some they will sell)

- the Salvation Army (they will sell the books at low costs to help their efforts)

- local schools (depending on the topic)

- local nursing homes

- local second hand book store (gave me a credit to buy other books - see my collection keeps growing!)

In searching the internet for other places that will accept used books, I came across a wonderful website: Adopt A Library. The theme of the website is: "Read. Reuse. Recycle". The website encourages donations to organizations around the world that will put the books to good use, rather than seeing our books end up in landfill sites. The site is the brainchild of classical musician Lynn Gaubatz, and she has done a great job listing many resources that would benefit from used books. As I continue to reduce the number of books in my home, I will use some of the resources she has listed.

So my love of books continues. My collection keeps growing. But to use Lynn Gauhatz motto of "read, reuse and recycle", I will read, reuse and recycle my books with the hopes that someone else will discover and experience the passion of reading and learning!

As Helen Hayes once said, "From your parents you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot before the other. But when books are opened you discover you have wings."