This is a question that sometimes lands at the Reference Desk here at the Nashua Public Library. Unfortunately, encyclopedias are not an item that we accept as book donations. Many people are perplexed by this – surely their 30-year old, pristinely-kept multi-volume set of encyclopedias (which weren’t cheap, by the way) have a use in our warehouse of knowledge and shelves of books. However, the encyclopedias we keep on our shelves print new editions every year. Imagine looking up information on the Taliban, East Germany, communist China, the Internet, or even Michael Jackson in an encyclopedia that is 30 years old. The information that you would find would probably not be very useful.

I always wish I could embrace with open arms those 30-year old encyclopedias with which our well-meaning patron would like to benefact us. However, the sad truth is that, should they come into our possession, they would be put into the recycling bin. When I field these calls, one of my suggestions is to cut up the encyclopedias [gasp], and use them for art projects. Being forced to wrestle with being put in the position of, in a sense, rejecting someone’s good intentions, I scoured the web for cozier answers for our encyclopedic donors. Here is what I found:

• Freecycle! The Freecycle Network™ is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and thus keeping good stuff out of landfills. You can find out more about the Nashua Freecycle group here
• An art group in the area. Some artists use outdated 'throw away' books for altering and other art related projects. I would try the Nashua Area Artists’ Association
• Goodwill, or Salvation Army. Perhaps someone is looking for books to decorate their homes
• Offer them on CRAIGS's LIST under either "FREE" or "CRAFTS"

And for those of you who wouldn’t get a frowny face when considering "Books+Exacto Knife":
• What about a secret hiding spot for loot?
• Perhaps you are looking for a secret place for your ipod
• Maybe a bar for down in the basement
• Perhaps you would like to make a book headboard or your bed
• A lamp made from a stack of books like this one. Or this one.
• Bookshelf made of old encyclopedias
• My personal favorite – the increasingly popular Book purses

Or, perhaps, you, gentle reader, have other ideas for what to do with 30-year old encyclopedias?