Hobbies And Interests
1. Donate Your Books
Donate the books to your favorite charity, the Salvation Army, local hospital, library or school. Depending on the types of books in your collection, you may want to donate specific books that fit the charity or organization you select. For example, if you have any children's books, you can give them to your local children's hospital.
2. Sell Your Books
Selling your books might be a better option if you need the extra money. Look in your area for used bookstores who buy books for a reasonable price. You may want to try multiple used bookstores too. Some will offer better buyback prices compared to others. Whatever the bookstores don't buy, consider donating to a local charity or try selling them again in a few months.
3. Set Your Books Free
If you only have a few books to get rid of, then set them free. Leave your books at a cafe or coffeehouse instead of donating directly to a charity. With the book, attach a note. Let the random stranger who picks up the book know why you enjoyed the book. This is a creative way to recycle and give back to society.
4. Make a Hollowed Out Book
A classic way to recycle a few old books is to hollow out the inside pages to make the perfect hiding place for your trinkets and small possessions. You will need to cut a square or rectangle deep into the pages of the book. After you have your cut-out, then glue the pages firmly in place. You will also need to glue the last page to the inside of the back cover. This ensures the pages do not shift and your item remains securely hidden.
5. A Shelf Made From Books
Another useful way to recycle your books is to create a shelve made entirely of used books. On this project, you will need to glue books end to end. It is recommended to stack two books on top of each other. They should line up front to back. This provides additional support for your new shelf. Hardcover books work best for the shelving.
6. Book Bookends
To complete your bookshelf made from books you might decide to create matching bookends. You will need to glue about two or three hardcover books together. You do this by gluing a front cover to a back cover and so on. You will also want to glue the pages in place, so you have a solid, supportive mass. All the books you choose should be approximately the same size. Feel free to be as creative as you like with this project.
7. Use Books as Table Legs
Creating a table with legs made from books may look odd. However, using large hardcover books, such as college textbooks, provides a sturdy support. Again, for this recycling project, you will need to choose hardcover books that are approximately the same size. Thick books are recommended. You will stack and glue the books in a column at the desired height of the table. When you are done, simply attach or glue the four book columns to the bottom of the table top.
8. A Book Swap Party
Get together with a group of friends and family who love to read. Invite them over and tell them to bring any book they no longer want. A book swapping party is a great way to give your used books to others while receiving a few new books. Be as creative as you wish and have fun.
9. Artistic Project
There are a number of artistic projects where you can create everyday items from used books. For example, it is possible to make a clock, lamp, paper vase, pop-up book, iPod case and a book fort made just for kids. Brainstorm other creative ways you can turn your old books into something fun and practical.
10. Scan Your Books
If you still wish to read your books, scan them with optical character recognition (OCR) software. There are open-source software programs that will scan and digitalize your whole book collection. This is a time consuming process, but worth it if you prefer reading books on a computer or portable reading device. When you are finished converting, take the books to a paper recycling center so they are recycled. The recycled paper may find itself again into another book.