DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been cleaning out my apartment, and I have come across so many books that my family and I no longer need. I don’t want to throw them out, though. Some of them are really good children’s books. Others are history books and art books that somebody might find interesting. We just don’t need them anymore. Since libraries aren’t open, I don’t know what to do with them. I don’t want to keep looking at them in a pile by my door. I live in an apartment building with a bunch of tenants, but I’m not really friends with anyone. Any ideas? -- Book Club
DEAR BOOK CLUB: Books sometimes find their own friends. Why not make a sign that indicates that the books are free for anyone who might want them, and put them in a common area in your building? Wipe them down to ensure that they are not dusty or dirty, and put them in a box or set them up so that the titles are easily visible. If you place them where people can see them -- near the front entrance or by the elevator -- you increase the chances that they will be seen and collected.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)