The Preservation of Knowledge Through Recycled Books
By Alexandra Landaverde
What would have happened to actual society if the knowledge of “the Newton laws of motion” hadn’t been passed through the generations or if the work of Jane Austen and other romantic authors hadn’t been preserved?
This subject is not always thought about and if so, it’s not contemplated very deeply because nowadays the importance of recycled books and books in general is decreasing.
Books have a crucial role in history, they contain valuable information about early human civilizations, like “The Iliad” or “The Odyssey” by Homer, before industrialization the production of books took a very long time but now thanks to technological advances in book production is done in a short amount of time and it allows the mass production of books, given the mass production of books it made actual society lose interest in literature because of the availability, it no longer is a luxury item which probably made people forget the importance of preserving and recycling a book.
¿Did you know that a collector purchased a first edition of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for $100,000 at Swann Galleries? This could be you if you sort out all of your old books. Talking seriously you could make a big change in someone’s history with a small action, if you recycle your books they may get into the hands of someone who really wants or needs it.
| Ways to preserve knowledge
- Digital Conversion: If your goal is to share your book with many people you can consider scanning your book and uploading it, Adobe has a very well-explained guide on how to do it.
- Resell your used books: You can make money off your old books by reselling them, you just have to make sure that they are in good condition for their new owner.
If you do something in the list, be aware that you are helping more than just one person because in this way you are actively preserving knowledge for future generations.