Reading for Everyone- Recycling Books for Free

You've seen it in your own home. All those paperback novels, sci-fi books and romance novels laying around the house. You've read them and now you stack them in boxes hoping to get 10 cents for them at the next garage sale. Some may be worth a quarter---cool!

I would like to propose a different idea- recycle the books. No, I don't neam to stick them in the recycle bin for the trash truck to pick up. I mean you need to let someone else enjoy them. There are a couple of ways that come to mind.

The first way to recycle those paperbacks (and magazines for that matter) is to start a "Help Yourself" library at work. Set up a place in the workplace that employees can put paperbacks they are finished with and grab any that they want to read. No need for check out procedures or book keeping. Keep it simple! If someone sees a book they are interested in, it is theirs for the taking. Just grab and go. Anyone having books they have finished with just sticks it on the shelf for others.

Periodically, when we did this where I used to work, we would go through what was there when the shelves were getting full and pull out those that no-one was interested in and donate them to the local donation thrift store.

We saw this in England a number of years ago. My wife and daughter are reading fanatics and on one of our England trips,  ads on the television were encouraging people to read and leave their books. My wife left two and picked up one. Here is how it works. I am going to put my twist on this because I would really like everyone who reads this to get on board with the idea and participate in their community.

First, go through your house and gather those books that you do not want to keep. Next, get on your computer and create an address label size message that says something to this effect:

"This book has been left here for your enjoyment . Feel free to take it, read it, then leave it somewhere else for someone else to enjoy."

When you take your book with you to, let's say, the airport and you finish it before you board, leave it at the terminal for someone else with that note. Anywhere that you see that there are old, outdated magazines, leave your books there. Don't leave stacks, just leave a book here and there. Childrens books and magazines are even more critical to grow that reading, educated public base.

I'm sure there are publishers out there that are crying foul at this time. Don't- this could actually increase interest in reading and perhaps interest readers in authors that they have wanted to read but weren't sure they wanted to spend 10 bucks to find out! Increase readership means increase sales. Everyone comes out ahead.