Now that I'm all fired up about the fires in the Amazon, I've found myself re-evaluating the actions I take each day which can negatively impact the planet in some way. As an avid reader, I often find that I am surrounded by books. Most of these books have been handed off to me after a friend has read it. Some of them I've picked up in coffee shops. However; a good portion of them have been purchased brand new and gifted by family members.
... and then every once in a while, a book is released and everyone is talking about it and I can't find a friend who has a free copy... and I slip up... and I buy it new... (don't worry, I almost always minimize it later by sharing with someone else).
But then I remembered that, hello... duh... the library is kind of the greatest place ever. It's got seemingly infinite resources, huge access to books and multimedia, and if your specific local library doesn't have what you're looking for, it's really not too difficult for them to create an interlibrary loan with a nearby library district to get you what you need.
And libraries aren't just great for books. I'm kind of over the era of purchasing DVDs and Blu-Ray disks and CDs, and because I'm living that low budget #teacherlife, even spending a few $$ to rent these things digitally isn't always in the cards (I prefer to save that cash for coffee so I can survive the days with my students). The library is a great place to check out all of those blockbusters and Top 40 albums!
Ok... I'll admit that over the last few years, I've trained myself to spend about an hour one weekend a month looking through all of the new books and movies that have been recently released. I then put them on hold at my local library and while sometimes I have to wait up to 3 months to get them (!!!), I save the cash, help a local foundation, and am not contributing to too much demand for goods that the general public may get sick of and trash in the near future anyway.
I highly recommend that if you want to use the library for movies, look at Redbox and/or Blockbuster (yes, their website still exists) for up and coming films and then search them at your library. Do this as far in advance as possible so you can be closer to the beginning of the holds list. Also, if books are more your speed and you don't like waiting for the latest bestseller, consider putting the large print version on hold. Many people don't even realize that this exists, so when 700 people have holds on the 12 regular copies that the library district owns, maybe only 2-3 people have held the large print version. A bonus here that I've only just discovered this last weekend is that if you get too busy and can't finish the large print version on time and a couple of people have it on hold, you may still be able to renew it for an extra week. With the regular version of newer books, you typically get your library's 2 or 3 week borrowing time and that's it!
These are just a few tips that I wanted to pass along in case you, too, are trying to decrease your footprint. Also, if like me, you want to try and help efforts in the Amazon and you're already great at saving your cash on books and movies by using the library, I'd love if you'd donate a few dollars to my Rainforest Foundation fundraiser! You can do that via Facebook by clicking HERE!
Cheers, Green Bees!
What's sustainable about this outfit?
: the sweater was thrifted
: the top was thrifted
: the leggings are plant-dyed organic cotton
: the shoes are fair trade and handmade
: the bracelets are fair trade and handmade
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