# What to do with an old [encyclopedia set]



## Patri (Dec 7, 2011)

encyclopedia set? 1986. Looks so nice on the shelf, but not used. DH was finally cleaning and suggested tossing them. I guess. Hate to fill the landfill though. Any other ideas?


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## Phydeaux (Dec 7, 2011)

Recycle bin.


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## DeniseM (Dec 7, 2011)

Offer it on free cycle


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## Miss Marty (Dec 7, 2011)

*Encyclopedia*

Give the encyclopedia set to a Senior Center 

Give the encyclopedia set to a Local Shelter

Shelters that are geared toward helping children and that have educational standards will often accept donations of encyclopedias.

Donate the encyclopedia set to Goodwill or The Salvation Army

They take donations of all kinds, 
including books and even encyclopedia sets. 
Donations can be given directly at a nearby store, usually during specific hours and in the back of the store, or can be given by contacting your nearest Salvation Army or Goodwill and having them pick up the donation.

Donate the set to a library. Even if the library does not need the encyclopedia set, it often will take donations and use those donations by selling them to raise money for the library.

Give the entire set to Books for Africa - www. booksforafrica .org


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## Talent312 (Dec 7, 2011)

Fire starter?
Balast for a boat?
Insulation for a wall?

Don't let anyone who wants to learn something have 'em.
Their education will be seriously stunted.


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## jackio (Dec 7, 2011)

I had the same problem.  I put them out in the recyclables.  Half of the countries in there don't even exist anymore!


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## Patri (Dec 7, 2011)

Love the suggestions.


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## cotraveller (Dec 7, 2011)

Miss Marty said:


> Donate the set to a library. Even if the library does not need the encyclopedia set, it often will take donations and use those donations by selling them to raise money for the library.



I'll second that suggestion.  We volunteer at the local library foundation sale and every year there are a number of encyclopedia sets that are sold.


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## laurac260 (Dec 7, 2011)

We homeschool, so a set of encyclopedias are like gold.  We just bought an entire set of encyclopedia's from half price books from 1994 for 20$.  There is still PLENTY of relevant information in them, and for the info that IS relevant, it is much better for accuracy than doing research on google.  I was reading an article recently that many of today's generation believes that the info they find online is true and accurate.  The problem is, anyone can post crap there.  The two dictionaries that came with the set and the section on the human body alone is worth well over the 20$ we paid.  

Don't discount the relevancy of old encyclopedias.  "Current news" in 1986 is just "history" today.  There are plenty of people out there who would love to get their hands on those books.


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## tombo (Dec 7, 2011)

Use them as door stops. They last a lot longer than fruit cakes......


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## ronparise (Dec 7, 2011)

I really like books. If I dig deep enough I can probably find my high school texts around here somewhere.....Kindle, Nook, IPad It seems that all books are becoming obsolete except as decorator items.  But its still,oh so, impressive to have a leather bound set of the classics on display to refer to...even if you never read them.. Id keep the set on display as a curiosity item. a snapshot in time so to speak..It will also let the kids (if you have kids) know that you value books, and learning

My father worked in Library (the Army Library in the Pentagon) and in the 1950's brought home the Encyclopedia Britanica from the 1920's. That set served me well all through high school researching one paper or another.  It worked well for researching history (before 1920) and the classics....not so much science and modern technology.But damn!..it looked good on the shelf


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## Twinkstarr (Dec 8, 2011)

We had a set of World Book encyclopedias, with I forget how many years of the yearly updates(current events and science). 

When my mom passed away, we had an estate sale. She had quite a collection of books, only thing that didn't sell was the World Book set. Library wouldn't take them for their used book sales nor the one local foundation that runs a book store for funding.

Ended up leaving them out for the garbage buzzards, people who drive by on garbage days before the trucks show up looking for stuff. One of them took them.


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## wackymother (Dec 8, 2011)

We have a 1980 Encyclopedia Britannica, and we still use it for reference, especially on things that haven't really changed too much, like wars and historical figures.


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## pkyorkbeach (Dec 8, 2011)

GoodWill sells them


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## MULTIZ321 (Dec 8, 2011)

Consider donating them to Books for Third World

See http://www.booksforthirdworld.org/

Richard


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## MichaelColey (Dec 9, 2011)

You might try Half Price Books.  Last time I brought books there, they divided them into two groups.  The group of books they felt they could easily sell they offered me 1/4th of the price.  The (much larger) group of books they felt they couldn't sell, they offered me a set amount ($1?) per FOOT on shelf space.  Apparently, some home sellers buy books by the foot to fill up bookshelves.


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## laurac260 (Dec 9, 2011)

MichaelColey said:


> You might try Half Price Books.  .



Second that.  That's where we got our set.  If you are looking for money for them you won't get much, we bought our complete set from them for 20$.  But if you like the idea that someone will use them, the HPB here sells them as they come in.


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## Ann-Marie (Dec 9, 2011)

I tied mine up and threw them out.  Kept one book to weight down my tricolor cookies!


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## hefleycatz (Dec 9, 2011)

I have some from the 60's and 70's and 80's.  use them for odds and ends.  At christmas i stack them together to give some height to Xmas decorations then cover with red or white covering, missing a ball foot on the bottom of a metal bed frame? jack it up with a couple encyclopedias.  I gave my daughter two boxes full (since they are so heavy) to put in the back of her little car to keep her rear-end from sliding.   

lee


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## BocaBum99 (Dec 9, 2011)

laurac260 said:


> We homeschool, so a set of encyclopedias are like gold.  We just bought an entire set of encyclopedia's from half price books from 1994 for 20$.  There is still PLENTY of relevant information in them, and for the info that IS relevant, it is much better for accuracy than doing research on google.  I was reading an article recently that many of today's generation believes that the info they find online is true and accurate.  The problem is, anyone can post crap there.  The two dictionaries that came with the set and the section on the human body alone is worth well over the 20$ we paid.
> 
> Don't discount the relevancy of old encyclopedias.  "Current news" in 1986 is just "history" today.  There are plenty of people out there who would love to get their hands on those books.



I don't agree.   Google is so much better for several reasons:

1) It teaches the child to use more than one source and to verify the facts.  They will learn how to deal with contradictory information.  Relying on an old encyclopedia as a reliable source handicaps the child.

2) It's quick and its the way information is found and processed today.  It would be like teaching a student with a slide rule instead of a calculator.

Wikipedia is way more accurate than is portrayed by conventional wisdom.  In fact, quite frequently, it is updated within minutes of an event.


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## Twinkstarr (Dec 9, 2011)

BocaBum99 said:


> I don't agree.   Google is so much better for several reasons:
> 
> 1) It teaches the child to use more than one source and to verify the facts.  They will learn how to deal with contradictory information.  Relying on an old encyclopedia as a reliable source handicaps the child.
> 
> ...



I agree, last year when my then 8th grader did his first research paper in English they had them in the computer lab for a week teaching them to multi source and verify. Kind of surprised as he had an older teacher(retired after the school year) and in the past I have found them to be rather computer challenged. Also spent time in library, how to access online library catalogs(other schools/public libraries). 



The 4th grader did the same sort of thing but at his grade level(3rd) when doing his country report last year. Glad to see, as I worked the computer lab when the elder was in 3rd grade and mostly got to see kids typing spelling lists in word!


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## ricoba (Dec 9, 2011)

BocaBum99 said:


> Wikipedia is way more accurate than is portrayed by conventional wisdom.  In fact, quite frequently, it is updated within minutes of an event.



While I tend to agree with your general thoughts regarding the internet vs the encyclopedia, one has to use a lot of caution when sourcing from Wikipedia.

Since it is so open source and can change so frequently, it really can't be considered a resource for a document that requires research and citation.  Another problem is that too often now days people use Wikipedia and do a "cut and paste" report instead of genuine research and independent thought.  Those are my only caveat's regarding an open source like the internet.


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## pedro47 (Dec 9, 2011)

One of our friends who is an interior decorator use them to decorate the book shelves of new homes for sale.


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## laurac260 (Dec 9, 2011)

BocaBum99 said:


> I don't agree.   Google is so much better for several reasons:
> 
> 1) It teaches the child to use more than one source and to verify the facts.  They will learn how to deal with contradictory information.  Relying on an old encyclopedia as a reliable source handicaps the child.
> 
> ...



Wow, then we have atleast two whole generations of "handicapped " humans huh?   I never said that we used them as our sole source of info, but any clown can post stuff in the Internet and sell it as fact, huh?  I think letting a whole generation assume that the Internet is an end all source of factual information handicaps the child.  In fact I'm going to say that my last statement is fact.  It must be, right? After all, you've read it in the Internet.


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## funtime (Dec 10, 2011)

*donation to assisted living or senior center*

I seriously like the idea of donation to senior centers, assisted living centers, and homeless centers.  We have generations of seniors that grew up on encylopedias and love them.  We would be kidding ourselves to think that every 85 year old at a senior center  is going to the center's computer center, logging on an googling and wikipediaing after checking their email, blog sites and facebook.

  Second best idea - women's shelter thrift shop or salvation army shop.  Lots of folks including seniors have time on their hands and would really enjoy.   Go for it!  Funtime


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