Forget to recycle your electronics? We have the book for you!

Champaign County, Urbana, Champaign, Savoy and the News-Gazette have been sponsoring wildly successful recycling events where you can drop off your old, outdated household electronics, such as computers, scanners, cell phones and VHS players. If you missed the drop-off this past weekend, a couple more are planned for later this year--August 7th and November 6th.

In the meantime, what can you do with those old gizmos and gadgets you don't use anymore? Why, use 'em for craft and productivity projects! And we have just the brand new book that can help--

62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer (and Other Discarded Electronics), by Randy Sarafan, (Workman, 2010).

This new guide is chock full of creative ideas for your old, cherished equipment that range from jewelry to toys to truly useful items.

Yeah, you do need to be handy with screwdrivers and similar tools, but the author provides excellent directions and pictures. Plus, the introductory chapter presents precautions about how to be careful around electronic equipment. Don't assume old electronics are immediately safe just because they're unplugged.

My favorite projects? A scanner compost box, power-strip bird feeder, laptop digital photo frame, and "Mouseracas"--maracas made from old mice. This book truly has something for everyone feeling overwhelmed by the ever-growing pile of outdated computer stuff that we all seem to be accumulating nowadays.

Hope to see ya around the library, especially if you bring your re-purposed cell phone flashlight to show us!