LitNet Book Donation Drive

[Scheherazade]

I am hoping that most of you have read/posted/voted. In the light of our "sins", I think it might be a good idea to do something.

Let's declare July 1st LitNet Book Donatiton Drive Day.

~ Count out your "sins". (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44663)

~ For every two sins you have, please choose one book from your personal library and tell us which ones you have chosen and why.

~ Decide where you want to donate them: local libraries, hospitals, youth clubs etc.

- Sometime during the first week of July, take them there.

I would like to thank in advance for those who agree to take part.




The aim of this campaign is not to make you go out buy new books to donate.

The books should come from your personal library so that it is really something from your heart. It could be a book you really dislike or you have more than one copy.

I have only one "sin" but will be donating two books:

His Family by Ernest Poole and Engleby by Sebastian Faulks.

[TurquoiseSunset]

Woohoo! Scher, that's a great idea!!

Okay, I have two sins, but I'll donate 20 - 25 Afrikaans books to either the library or a hospital. I usually give books I don't want any more to the library, so I'll give our two hospitals a call first.

My reason for choosing those books: They were my gran's. She belonged to a book club in the mid-eighties so she had quite a few of them. Growing up I read many over the summer holidays (my grandparents live by the sea, so the whole family went there for Christmases). She gave me a whole bin bag full two months ago after clearing out a wardrobe, but I don't want all of them, just a few of my old favourites. So the rest I'll donate. I'm putting them back in the plastic bag as we 'speak' :p

[Niamh]

What a great idea Scher! Will think over how many sins i have and what books. May give away a few to different places if possible... (does giving a book to someone because they cant get it where they are count?)

[AuntShecky]

Define "sins."

If by sin, you mean violating one of the LitNet rules, I'm probably guilty of a couple, at least.

But if you're using the term for the theological concept of sin, then I'll probably have to sacrifice every book I own!

[Scheherazade]

Turquoise and Niamh> Thank you both very much for supporting the project. That is very generous of you.

Niamh> If you mean giving books to friends, then, probably no... I was hoping that with this project we could get more books read by more people rather than getting books simply change ownership.

AuntShecky> This has been something we have been discussing in another thread, which is linked in the OP as well:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44663

Even if you said "yes" to all the "sins", you would not have to donate more than five books :)

[Niamh]

just checking...
I think its a great idea.
:nod:

[pussnboots]

I recently donated over 20 books to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and Vietnam Veterans. I'm sure I have more books to donate but to list the name of the books would take me too long. I guess I have a lot of sins :lol:

[Niamh]

I wonder if ARC will take books. My aunt frequents there group days and i'm sure they would have a book club or library...

[kilted exile]

I will be out of the country but will look out some to give away when I get back

[Scheherazade]

Niamh> What is ARC?

Kilted> Thank you. Maybe you can donate some in Scotland or Ireland! That'd be great... donating books there all the way from Canada :)

[Virgil]

I don't consider my books sins sins. :lol: I definitely hoard books so this is a real task for me. My wife would love you if i got rid of even a few books because of this. I'll have to consider it. I'm sure I have some books that I could part with, though I may be in tears when I give it away. :bawling:

[Niamh]

ARC is an organisation set up for survivers of cancer... and well some who are going through a long illness with cancer.

[kilted exile]

Kilted> Thank you. Maybe you can donate some in Scotland or Ireland! That'd be great... donating books there all the way from Canada :)

Hmmm, weight restrictions mean wont be taking any books over with me - may steal some from the fathers library & donate them though

[qimissung]

This is a very sweet idea, Scher. I usually give some books to the livrary each year. Maybe I will try the hospital or the county jail.

[Helga]

this will be a challenge, I need to think about it for a while, I probably have one or two I can part with but...

I am very surprised so many of you give away so often and so many books, I think it's very sweet but way to difficult to do on a regular basis.... but I'll consider it
but is it really a sin to hoard books, I don't even remember my other 'sins', I'll have to check it out

[Scheherazade]

I'm sure I have some books that I could part with, though I may be in tears when I give it away. :bawling:Ah, it is good to show your sensitive, emotional side once in a while, Virgil! ;)
ARC is an organisation set up for survivers of cancer... and well some who are going through a long illness with cancer.I didn't about this organisation. Such a worthy cause. Thank you, Niamh!
Hmmm, weight restrictions mean wont be taking any books over with me - may steal some from the fathers library & donate them thoughOh, I was thinking you might something with you to read during the flight etc but no big deal, Kilted! :)
This is a very sweet idea, Scher. I usually give some books to the livrary each year. Maybe I will try the hospital or the county jail.I hadn't thought of jails as a possibility. I might look into it myself, actually.

but is it really a sin to hoard books, I don't even remember my other 'sins', I'll have to check it outHelga, "sin" here is a nothing but a term used jokingly. Books are not sins but "hoarding" anything, in my opinion, is a little selfish act. I am sure if we asked a shoe hoarder, they would come up with justifications for their behaviour as well :D

I am just hoping that we might stop and take a moment to review our book obsession. The way most of us gather books somewhat reduces them to mere beautiful objects. So why not do a generous deed so that others apart from ourselves benefits from our books as well?

I would like to thank all of you who are considering taking part in this campaign. I am not expecting anyone to give their most "precious" books away or more than they would happy to part with. Only 2-3 books as an indication of your generousity and willingness to get others share the beauty of the books that are so important in your lives.

Once again, thank you. :)

[PoeticPassions]

I still have to think about which books I will donate... ahhh this is difficult, since one of my sins is hoarding books (and never ever donating to a library, for example). I will have to do it, I am sure I have a couple I can part with...

[pussnboots]

i don't consider my books sins sins. :lol: I definitely hoard books so this is a real task for me. My wife would love you if i got rid of even a few books because of this. I'll have to consider it. I'm sure i have some books that i could part with, though i may be in tears when i give it away. :bawling:

Just Do It!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Zee.]

"in light of our sins"

.. not sure i'm liking that.

[Niamh]

Just Do It!!!!!!!!!!!!

you tell him!

[Joreads]

I didn't know about this but I just gave five bags full of books to the local nursing home, and hospital so I hope that counts.

I must say there were not all for sins

[Niamh]

All this talk of sins made me think of this... hope Scher doesnt mind me posting it :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS-MPYM6yHI&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKKPVJ4FYDM&feature=channel
Its a group of Dublin school kids recorded in the 60's and the animation done in the last decade of them telling the bible. its cute and funny... but excuse the accent. :blush: Its total inner city.

[Whifflingpin]

Giving away a few books will not be difficult, (I'm not a book miser, just a book sink.)

Deciding which ones, and where to, will be.

Who would actually want to read the books I've got? "Life of Lord Granville" anyone? "Spansh Raggle-Taggle" ?

There's no point in giving to local libraries. Quite a few of my books are just those which the libraries were selling off cheap.

Giving them to a charity shop would be easy, but a bit of a cheat, and anyway, to do any good they'd have to be bought by another hoarder, so that would not help.

????

(Oh, I must say that committing myself to giving away a book or five does not mean I hold Scher's view of books & book collecting (but that's for the other thread) only possessing things should not mean that we are possessed by them.)

[Scheherazade]

All this talk of sins made me think of this... hope Scher doesnt mind me posting it :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS-MPYM6yHI&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKKPVJ4FYDM&feature=channel
Its a group of Dublin school kids recorded in the 60's and the animation done in the last decade of them telling the bible. its cute and funny... but excuse the accent. :blush: Its total inner city.Lovely! And the accent is awesome!
(Oh, I must say that committing myself to giving away a book or five does not mean I hold Scher's view of books & book collecting (but that's for the other thread) only possessing things should not mean that we are possessed by them.)As long as you donate... I am sure the rest will follow... ;)

[kilted exile]

Oh, I was thinking you might something with you to read during the flight etc but no big deal, Kilted! :)

I am taking one book to read on the plane (The trial of king Charles) but it is a book which requires numerous readings so wont be getting rid of that. Will def look out some to give away on my return though - and help a certain someone decide which ones she should part with ;)

[kasie]

I've just taken a couple of bags-full of books to the charity table in the local hospital - the table is manned (personed??) by volunteers from different charities each half-day, it happened to be the Asthma Support group the day I went which was appropriate as I have been asthmatic since the age of six. I don't know if it counts though as the books belonged to my husband. :) The ladies selling at the stall whooped on them with great delight however: 'Oh good', they said, 'books for men at last!' And indeed they did have mostly 'women's books', so maybe it was a good deed which will help some poor bloke through a miserable visit to the hospital, not just me, clearing out. I've taken two boxes to Oxfam as well - I know Oxfam sort their books and have specialist (second-hand) book-shops in various places around the country and these were all engineering or scientific books. There are still two big boxes of 'men's books' - ripping yarns, derring-do ancient and modern - downstairs in the junk room, sorry, workshop, so they will be off to a charity shop soon.

I 'generously donated' books to a prison library scheme my college was sponsoring many years ago. We had just finished a course on (and here I whisper it) the American Novel and I had hated it . (There - I've come out - I feel so much better....) In fairness I ought to say it was the tutor rather than the books. One of the books was Rabbit Run - it was the only Rabbit book that had been published at the time, so you can see how long ago it was - the Penguin edition had a line drawing of a female nude and I rather naughtily wondered how many of the men to whom it was donated would be reading Updike just because of the cover! Oh, and the much disliked tutor was one of the people running the scheme - I don't know if she realised who had given those books because I avoided her courses after that. :D

[Niamh]

i've well over 600 books to select from. its going to be tricky...

[applepie]

What a wonderful idea Scher! I've always been one to donate my books when I take notice that I'm hoarding them. Though not really mine, but I'm the one hoarding them regardless, I've a ton of young children's books to donate. Maybe I'll see if they are looking for any at the Children's hospital here. You've also reminded me of a program in most major book stores, Borders for example, where they ask if you would like to buy a book to donate at the counter. I buy two every time:D I figure if I can spend $50 on books in one shot, or more like $100 if I have my kids with me, I can donate two to children who are not so lucky. My husband will love that I've been given an excuse to clean out my collection.

[grace86]

I'll donate several as well. I've been meaning to do so because there are some books that I just will never get around to reading. Today I just spent some time at the library with the Friends of the Library and picked up a couple that interest me, and there was a sign on an empty shelf that said it would love to have the space filled with our donations. So I'll donate there. It's a small little place that could use some help.

I'll probably give more than my list of book sins require me to.

[Scheherazade]

Seems like 9 people have pledged to take part! This is better than I expected; thank you everyone! :)

[Niamh]

hey scher? Having issues with giving to who i want to give to... Is it ok to donate to a charity shop like The St Vincent De Paul? A lot of there work helps the poor here...

[Scheherazade]

Sure, Niamh! :)

I had a chat with my local library... They said the donated books are usually sold (unless they are already listed in their catalogue) but the money raised is used to buy new books etc for the library so it is still good :)

[Niamh]

cool!
I already know i'm going to donate Angels and Demons... okay yeah i'm just trying to get rid of the god awful book! but i probably will donate another three or four...

[Scheherazade]

I donated my books and felt good about it while sipping my cappuccino afterwards! :D

[Niamh]

I'm going to get my mam to drop mine in for me. I'm currently sick...

[Whifflingpin]

mission accomplished