Ask Heloise| St. Augustine Record
Dear Readers: A recent column asked readers for suggestions concerning the disposal of old encyclopedias. Here is what some readers had to say:
* Chris E. of Houston says: "Contact a local theater troupe. Older encyclopedias make great set dressing and help fill up bookcases."
* Nancy Shore of Salt Lake City says: "I donated my encyclopedia set to a charitable foundation that sent it to a school in the Philippines. There are many countries that would love to have our old books."
* Katey D., via e-mail, says: "Encyclopedias, dictionaries and similar are in high demand by artists who make art with altered books. Go online to find an altered-book art group that wants them."
* Tom Hammer of Massillon, Ohio, says, "Have students in class take a sheet that, say, has the Soviet Union and have two or three students update the information."
* Janet Howder, via e-mail, says: "Contact a home-schooling organization. It probably depends on how old the books are, but as home-schoolers, we use a 1992 set frequently for research."
* Christiane De Filippis of Potomac Falls, Va., says: "I divided the books into four equal piles to form a rectangle and put them in front of a love seat in my home library. I placed a rectangular piece of glass on top, moving each pile so it sat neatly under each corner of the glass top, and voila -- an instant coffee table."
* Sofia, via e-mail, says, "Old encyclopedias make great 'practice' books for all those who are learning English as a second language."
Who knew? I knew ... that my readers would come through! I even pick up a single volume to put in a guest room or set out on the coffee table. Old history is still history. -- Heloise
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Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to [email protected].
I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
