Recycled Books Come to Life

The discarded-book art of Vincent Colicchio, circulation clerk at Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is taking the community by storm. Colicchio became inspired after he began noticing a growing pile of discarded books in the recycling bin. When his supervisor gave him permission to make a display, he transformed the discards into colorful altered books with imagery related to their corresponding quotes. Colicchio said that as he contemplated each quote, “vague visions and imagery would come up, and I would try to follow it and let it grow as I was creating each altered book.” His work, on display at the two main PPLD facilities, has garnered admiration from the community. Two of the books will be auctioned off by the Colorado Library Education Foundation to raise funds for scholarships to attend Colorado Library Association events.