AT HOME

The better we keep the books, the more people will be able to read them after us. It is not necessary that a book is in a faultless condition to be able to read it, but it helps if we keep them in a good state.

How can we do it

Let us cover the books while we are using them.
For those who have a paper jacket to protect the book, it is better to have it off while we read, so that it does not bend nor break.
Don't use too thick bookmarks, as they may cause the book to get unbound. We can easily do one of card or paper.
Don't open completely the book, so that it does not get unbound. The study books or consultation titles that have to be opened to 180º are edited in thick books in which the pages do not touch the spine on opening it. If we have it open on a surface, do not load thereon.
Do not write therein if it cannot be well rubbed out.
When we carry a book in a backpack or any other pack, we can put it in a plastic or fabric one, to diminish the impact of hits, to prevent the scratches and spots and avoid that the edges bend.
Let us arrange them on the shelves in a quite vertical position; if they are crooked they get distorted. Do not pile them up horizontally because the weight of those upon would distort those below.
Don't let them in humid places; they could be attacked by fungus. Do not lay them either on places where they can be reached by sunshine directly.
Dust spots them. We should regularly dust the books or keep them inside a glass cabinet.
Bacteria are "eating up" paper of the oldest books. Let us apart them from the new ones, so that they don't spread.

Once we have read them, there are several ways to make books reach other readers if we do not want to keep them.

How can we do it

To give them to some friend or take them to an exchange fair or to a second-hand shop.
To give them to schools, libraries or organizations that make them arrive to countries or communities with few resources.
To liberate them through the system of book crossing.
The last option would be to let them piled up beside the paper container; somebody always picks them up.
Let us demand and promote the reuse of text books at our children' schools.