How does content offer you more than what’s written on each page? The answer is in these three reasons to consider re-purposing books.
A gaggle of information
The phrase be careful what you wish for is all I can think about as my sister delivers hundreds of books on cooking, home design, and business to my doorstep.
All are books that were donated for a charitable event that occurs twice yearly. These are books destined for destruction because each one doesn’t fit the buying pattern (too old, no interest, etc.) of customers who plan to attend the event.
I’m an author and lifelong book lover who cannot let these books go to waste before reviewing the insightful recipes, design tips, and business knowledge within each one I can take, re-purpose, and share with others.
What I look for in each book
Presentation
Some cookbooks are structured in a certain way with pictures, ingredients, and directions that act as a model for re-creation online or in print.
Trends
You and I know how design styles come, go, and come back again. Older home decor books provide insights you may have forgotten and are handy today.
Binding
Business books aren’t always bound the same way. There’s spiral settings and three-ring binder formats. This is handy for certain books that don’t fit the traditional binding process.
What to do and when
For me, book reviewing is an end-of-day and weekend project. My goal is to evaluate 18 books at a time (a number I picked at random) and decide if I’ll keep it, recycle it, or remove some photos and text before recycling. I also ask friends about interest in the topics before recycling the books.
Like you, I have limited space in my home and office. I can’t keep everything, and I’m not trying to create a library from scratch. However, the thought of getting rid of all the intelligence is my weakness. I’m pleased to make time to decide what I can keep, learn, and share. Isn’t that a wonderful example of re-purposing?
When you see something that’s being discarded, whether by you or another person, consider the item for another purpose. I’m not suggesting that you keep it or hoard all discarded items. Many things have an alternative use. If you recall the collectible jelly jars featuring The Flintstones (1960s memorabilia), you’ll remember that families re-purposed those jars into drinking glasses after the jelly was consumed. That’s the type of thinking I refer to – the trash to treasure effect.
That’s how I see books. I cannot keep all of them, but I will give soon-to-be destroyed books a chance to educate me through content and structure before discarding the remains.
What’s next?
The three reasons to consider re-purposing books create new opportunities for you to see old books in a new way. One of the reasons might spark an idea as you write your book. What book category (furniture, sporting goods, toys, jewelry, etc.) encourages you to create an alternative use for yourself or share with others?
