Pete Moye’
News Button

The Cerritos College library doesn’t just throw its books away. The books are recycled and a way is found to not just putting them in a trash can.

The Cerritos College Board of Trustees approved to have the library donate its books to the Better World Books organization.

The Board of Trustees approved it in the last meetings it had in late spring 2011.

The first shipment sent to the organization was made in the summer in early August with a total of 50 boxes.

“Donating the books is a good thing and it would be better to recycle the books rather than throwing them away,” music major Jeanette Hernandez said.

Cerritos College librarian Monica Lopez said that there have been many resorts that they have considered.

“We get books donated from students on campus and books we have on shelves that are in bad condition or even are old versions of books. Those books are the ones we pick out and hand down to the Library Club to sell in the book sale.

“When the books aren’t sold, we box them up and send them to the BWB. BWB either recycles the books or sells them,” Lopez said.

The private organization reimburses the library from the books that are sold that the library couldn’t sell in the book sale. Not only does the school receive money, but money is also given to the nonprofit organization National Center for Family Literacy.

“BWB provides us with the option of not just throwing books away, but to recycle the books. Its beneficial to us in the way that they give us part of there profit if they sell the books,” Lopez said.

Students like Oscar Valle, philosophy major, believe what the library is doing is a good thing that books still have more to offer to other people rather than to him after using it for one semester.

“If the books are thrown away, they won’t reach anyone. It’s better to have the books be with someone rather than thrown away you never know if they will get more use out of it than a trash can.”

BWB takes any books, but there are some that they accept, such as books with missing pages and coffee or water stains because the books may have mold.

“We maintain inventory in the library every week. We tend to make room for new books,” Lopez said.