- C. S. Lewis
As the school year comes to an end, I find this is the most strenuous time in the library. Not only mentally, with all the inventories, orders and the return of library materials from the students and teachers, but also physically with all the textbooks.
It's part of my job to collect all the textbooks from the students and stack them by subject and grade on the floor, leaving spaces for the consumable workbooks that will be delivered the last few weeks of school. I will receive deliveries of between 8 - 10 pallets of boxes that will have to be unpacked, sorted and added to the textbooks already on the floor.
Unpacking hundreds of boxes of workbooks can be a daunting task. I need to keep myself motivated with positive thoughts of getting everything organized for the new school year, beginning in August. However, several years ago I found another positive motivation.
Every time I cut open a box of workbooks there is a large sheet of white paper or a perfectly cut piece of cardboard on top. This is put there to prevent the box cutter from accidentally cutting the covers of the soft-bound workbooks. My box cutter doesn't cut deep enough to reach the paper or cardboard, so when I remove them they are in perfect condition. I set them aside in stacks until all the boxes are unpacked.
The paper's weight is approximately 85-90 lb. and I knew I could use pencil, colored pencils and ink on it. But when I tested it further, I was amazed when I found it could also handle markers, brush pens, water-soluble graphite pencils, gouache and light watercolor. There wasn't enough sizing on the paper for it to be able to handle full washes or extremely wet watercolor. Still, I was thrilled with what it was able to handle. I had all the materials I needed to repurpose and use to make sketchbooks.
I folded the paper in half and put 4 sheets together to make a signature. Then I sewed the signatures together to form a text block. I covered the pieces of cardboard with a red floral fabric to make the cover and glued the text block into it. I was able to make 2 hardbound mixed media sketchbooks.
Now, instead of dreading the textbook deliveries at the end of the year, I look forward to them. As I unpack them, my mind will be filled with thoughts and images of all the wonderful artwork I'll be creating and filling my sketchbooks with over the summer break...and that is the best motivation of all !!!
