DR. WALLACE: Our family spent this past weekend doing some "pre" spring cleaning since the weather was dry and mild in our part of the country.

We made a lot of good progress and cleaned up many areas of our house that really needed it, especially our attic and garage.

My father surprised us all by taking several hours to go through his vast book collection, and he pruned it down by something like 80%! Those books he kept are either valuable or mean something to him, and he boldly agreed to let go of the rest of them. Even my mother was all smiles when she saw just how many books he agreed to part with.

After the decisions were made, Dad started to put them into a paper recycling bin at our house, but I remembered reading somewhere that bound hardback books can't go into recycling bins because of the glue that is used in the binding process.

So my brother and I stacked all his books to be released into a neat corner of the garage, and now we need to take them somewhere! Can we recycle or repurpose them so that they don't end up in a landfill somewhere? — Proud of Dad, via email

PROUD OF DAD: Pass my congratulations along as well to your father! I similarly pruned my book collection down years ago by donating my books to a university library.

Depending on the type of books your father is willing to release, there may indeed be a library or school interested somewhere in your general area. You and your brother could take a few minutes to type up a list of each book's title and author and then take that list to your local public library. They might have interest in some, or they may be able to direct you to other suitable locations who might have interest as well.

For the books that you can't donate, please check with your city or county's local chamber of commerce office and city hall. Let them know you'd like to responsibly recycle your father's books as soon as possible. Each geographic area around our nation has different rules and standards for recycling paper products, so start your search there, and then follow up with other organizations or businesses that you might be directed to. I trust that within a short period of time, you'll be able to move all your father's books out in a suitable and responsible way.

Congratulations on helping him and being mindful of properly sending them off in the very best manner. And let both of your parents know that I'm quite impressed that your family has already completed a round of spring cleaning this early in the year!

I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU MISS THE MOST!

DR. WALLACE: I know you were a teacher and a sports coach during your career, but that you are a writer now. What do you miss the most about being a coach and a teacher?

Don't get me wrong, I think being a writer is great, but I know it's quite different than showing up to a high school campus every day to teach, coach or be an administrator. — Curious About This, via email

CURIOUS ABOUT THIS: You're quite correct that working daily on a high school campus is very different than being a writer.

The thing I miss the most is the interpersonal camaraderie that develops between a teacher and a student, or a coach and a student-athlete. And to take this concept a step further, the specific thing I miss the most of all is seeing firsthand the great progress that 99.9% of my students and players made during their high school years.

I'm not talking about setting sports records here, or winning league championships or getting straight "A" grades or even college scholarships. What I'm referring to is the personal progress of each individual I came across and had the privilege of working with as a teacher or a coach.

Seeing a young person develop and make personal improvements was my greatest joy. And every single one of them, in their own unique way, made important improvements to themselves, their character, their routines, their habits and their lives. Teenagers are some of the greatest people on earth, and they are packed with potential, hopes and dreams. Helping them to prepare for their future lives was beyond a joy to observe up close.

And even though these days I often only write from afar rather than dealing with dozens of teens in person like I did in the past, there is also joy in providing my best efforts at heartfelt advice that I hope can help them in their daily lives going forward.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Ashim D’Silva at Unsplash