The Book Tree Tradition

As a lover of books, I cringe when one is damaged or worse yet, destroyed. Yet, part of my job is withdrawing books and sending them either on to a new home or to the recycle bin. But one December brought new hope for old books and created a wonderful holiday tradition.

The former director of the library where I work set the tradition into motion. She'd gathered a cart full of books that would be discarded for various reasons. With some ingenuity and a photo, one of the student assistants took the books and built a Christmas tree. The job is harder than it seems, and usually requires someone who thinks like a mathematician. Which leaves me out. 

Every year since, I've admired and appreciated the calculations and work that goes into bringing the adornment to life. This year though, I did get to decorate the tree. From one of the worn and torn dismantled literature books came some delicate, thin pages. I used skills I learned in grade school art class to fold and snip snowflakes. Now we have a recycled tree from top to bottom. My co-workers and I look forward to the tradition of the book tree and plan to continue it for years to come.