What Should We Do With Our Old Books

Books are hoards of knowledge, fun, stories, and literacy and who would want to get rid of such a treasure? But once you have read all the books available at home, they seem to be of diminishing utility. My family and I are book lovers and we usually pick up 2-3 books every time we visit a bookstore. As a result, we have piles of reading books on our shelves, pantry and side tables.

Books are something that I find difficult to get rid off. I would never want a hamburger to be served in one of my book’s pages. Books are a source of knowledge and I would be satisfied if someone else is benefiting from them. In case you are in the same situation and want your used books in a worthy place, here are some ideas you can use for your old books.

1. Book swapping events: Try to organize book exchanging events in your locality, where people can join and exchange books. This will help you get your books to read multiple times and you will have new books to read. You can create a local book drive through a local church, library, school, or volunteer organization.

2. Donate your books: You can donate your books to organizations who sell your books to raise funds for underprivileged people. In this way, someone buys your books to read and you help needy people. You can donate your books to orphanages where young children can read these books and benefit from them.

3. Donate to local libraries: Your old books or the books used in schools can be donated to your local library. Most libraries will be more than happy to fill their shelves with your books to upgrade their stock.

4. Give them away online: There are several online book swapping websites working for free. You just need to upload your book name and picture and the book will be picked from your home and another book that you want to get will be provided to you.

5. Create a free book box: With the consent of the management, you can place free book boxes at different public places like a park, a railway station or a hospital where people can keep their useless old books or can take a book to read. In this way, people can get new books to read conveniently.

6. Send your books to prisoners: If you want your prisoners to be better people when they come out of prison, send them some books. Pack your old books and send them to local prisons so that the prisoners develop a love for reading behind bars. This will enhance education and reduce the tendency of committing crimes against convicts. Send some books related to history, motivation, and love.

7. You can donate and send your books to underprivileged areas of the world. Africa is a continent which has multiple areas lacking basic education. Your books for Africa can bring a change and can help educate little children. There is an organization with the name of Books for Africa working since 1988.

8. You can donate your books to soldiers as well. There are different programs running to send your old and used books to soldiers who are away from home.

9. Bring your unreadable books to use: If you have books with torn or missing pages, you can make envelopes using these pages or gift tags can be created by cutting the pages into different shapes. You can also create planting pots out of old torn books for the betterment of the environment as a whole.

“One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel