Protecting Cook Books

Cook Books tend to get dirty with use in the kitchen. One way to protect them is to use clear Con-Tact(R) "paper" as a book cover.

Plastic jackets are nice, but are loose enough for food particles to get underneath. The clear plastic adheres to the book cover so nothing can get under it. It´s clear so you can read the cover. It´s also easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth. Be sure you fold it neatly at the corners, to prevent loosening and peeling.

Although it is not normally a good idea to use adhesives on books, cookbooks are a special case.

Be Prepared!

As many of us are faced with longer drives these days, visiting family in the hinterlands :) ... consider the huge choice of audiobooks you have as a fresh and welcome change to the mundane radio chatter. Many suppliers are now offering mp3 formatted CDs, the advantage? Only 19 hours of narration on one disk! Avoid having to worry about selecting one of a series of 8 CDs (or 22 tapes) - make sure your player is compatible with mp3 and ask your library or supplier for the mp3 version of your favourite book.

Books on a Budget

Buy books at yard sales. It doesn´t matter if you like the particular titles or not, as long as they are popular titles, in good shape and cheap: you can take them to your local used store and trade them in for the books you want.

The World Almanac for Kids

The World Almanac for Kids is designed to combine education and entertainment in a fully illustrated and kid-friendly format. Designed for ages 7-12, it´s packed with information on hundreds of topics to suit the interests of every young reader. The book includes 32 pages of full-color maps and flags with more than 700 illustrations and charts.

"The educational value of this book is high--it will be great for elementary and lower-middle school classrooms, teachers, and students´ personal libraries."

--Booklist.

Public Library Online

The Public Library System in most U.S. states has an online catalog system which you may access from your home or office. Contact your local Public Library for details.

Go to Book Signings

Many bookstores, particularly in the larger cities, hold "book signing" events for best-selling authors. Call around to the larger bookstores in your area, and find out if they have any such events scheduled for authors you´d enjoy meeting. Ask if there will be a question-and-answer session, and find out the date and time. It´s great fun, and you´ll treasure your autographed books!

Keep Them Shaded!

Keep your books away from sunlight or fluorescent light. All visible light will eventually damage books; ultraviolet light from the sun will destroy them. When it comes to storage, the darker, the better.

Sharing Your Favorites

The best way to interest a child in books is to read to him or her. Share with them the books you loved as a child.

Young Reader´s Choice Award (North America)

Established in 1940 to promote reading for enjoyment, the Young Reader´s Choice Award recipients are chosen by the children and young adults of Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington. They are nominated, from books published 3 years previously, by librarians, teachers, students and others.

The Youth Division goes to a book for grades 4-8. In 1991, a Senior Division (grades 9-12) was added to the awards program.

For a list of winning titles, click Here.

Value of old books

Before selling or giving away old books, check out their value first. Although "old" and "Out of Print" doesn´t necessarily mean "valuable," some out-of-print books may be of worth a lot, and some older books are still in demand today. Several art books I own are being sold through the online auctions sites now for one to three hundred dollars.

Let´s Go Guides

Let´s Go travel books have been number one in the budget-travel market for over 40 years. They offer 51 titles to take you anywhere in the world at the lowest possible cost, offering unique and fascinating alternatives to the high-budget, swank-hotel travel line. Definitely the best for the traveling student.

Start a Book Club

Most readers have friends who read. Get together with your literary pals; have a luncheon every month, or meet in the park for a picnic. Each person can bring the books they have finished, and you can all exchange reading materials. Individuals you invite can bring their own guests, and soon you´ll have a large group of books to choose from!

Don´t miss the reviews

Don´t judge a book by its cover ... check the reviews listed at Amazon.com! For a professional opinion about the story, check ´editorial reviews.´ To see what other readers like yourself think, look into ´customer reviews´

Save half on previously owned titles

Looking for last month´s bestseller? Check out Half.com online They are prompt and reliable, and offer a huge collection of books, CDs, movies and computer games. All the stuff is rated, so you are unlikely to get ripped off.

Never Use Transparent Tape

Never repair your "keeper" books with scotch tape or glue. Most glues and all household pressure-sensitive tapes are highly acidic, and will damage the paper … that´s why those brown stains develop on pages where tape was applied.

There is a special transparent tape available from conservation suppliers, made for use on books.