by: Edythe Jensen Old Arizona Highways magazines donated to Chandler libraries are never trashed; they're taken apart and turned into shopping bags.
The practice is expected to save the downtown library's gift shop $200 a year, said shop manager Suzanne Kinsinger. Volunteers transform the colorful magazine pages into bags by using natural folds and taping the bottoms.
Now the magazine bags are bringing more compliments from customers than some of the items sold in the gift shop, she said. The project started about a year ago after Kinsinger visited Seattle where she noticed that city's library had shopping bags made from discarded paper items including posters.
Also coordinator for Friends of the Library used book sales, Kinsinger said large quantities of Arizona Highways magazines are donated to the sales but only the most recent ones and vintage issues are popular with buyers.
The magazine bags are ideal for purchases made from the gift shop's large greeting card collection, although more sturdy bags are required for larger items, she said. Sales at the shop and from the book sales support library programs that include children's reading programs, classes and computer labs. Library Manager Brenda Brown said the Friends group contributed $23,500 to those programs this year.
from: azcentral.com
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