Out with the old, in with the new, as the saying goes! One of the regular tasks your Madison College librarians undertake is weeding our collection to make room for new materials that arrive every month for you to check out. A win for you though, as there are some great finds in our book sale at the Truax Library for just 25 cents to $1 per item.

We hope the books bring you pleasure or enlightenment, but discarded library books are not just for reading! There are plenty of creative DIY projects that you can use old books to make. A few creative DIY upcycling ideas include:

• Creating a storage box out of a larger hardcover book. You can remove the pages from the book, retaining the exterior spine and cover, and build a new structure for the inside of the book, with Bristol board, cardboard or another material. Shut the cover and use the book for sleuthy décor- hide your valuables inside!

• Use photography books, art books, or atlases for card making, collage, and to make upcycled envelopes. Old maps can be great backgrounds, and very fun to send letters or cards in.

• Make blackout poetry (https://writers.com/what-is-blackout-poetry-examples-and-inspiration) by highlighting words to create a poem or saying.

• Make a knife block, planter, hidden storage box, or other handy household tools.

• Some books are printed on heavier paper that’s perfect for making gift tags, wrap, purses and bags. Making creative gift wrap from old books might be a little more than buying it at the store, but a whole lot cheaper! It would also be to receive a new book or two in gift wrapping upcycled from a book that’s no longer being used.

If you need more upcycling ideas than that, look at the e-book “Playing with books: the art of upcycling, deconstructing & reimagining the book” by Jason Thompson, freely accessible from the Madison College Libraries Catalog.

You can stop in at the Truax library and check out our book sale during any of the library’s open hours. For the fall semester our hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.