Along with the move is the need to downsize. Which for us means getting rid of books! We have hundreds, no thousands of books that we are not taking to the new home. Over our almost 40 years of marriage, my husband and I have collected an extensive library on many topics! I plan to sell some and donate others. But now another plan has come to mind. I can be a giveaway library!
Yesterday the libraries closed in my community due to the coronavirus. They will be closed for two weeks. What can a book girl do, but offer her friends and neighbors books to read. The idea came to me when I read another friend’s post about the library. I wrote on her wall: I have a ton of books I am giving away in the move. If anyone needs something to read. Tell me what you like. I am sure I have something you can read!
But then I thought I really need to put something on my Facebook wall so that all my friends could see. Yesterday I posted the following on Facebook:
“So with the Library closed, I have an offer. I have hundreds of books I am not taking to my new home. Tell me a topic or a genre you like. I am sure I have a book to give you to get through this enforced peaceful existence. 🙂 PM me. Of course only KC area people. Sorry. I have children’s books as well!”
The pictures below show my still filled bookcases in my family room and bedroom. At one time most of these shelves were double stacked. We also have more books on a downstairs bookshelf. OF course this does not include the almost 50 boxes of books that have been packed and taken to our new home. Those are the ones we are keeping. But every decision to discard a book came with an emotional quiver. It is difficult to say goodbye to books. Perhaps giving them to someone on edge due to the virus, will make the parting easier and more carthodic.
My husband and I are doing our best to make sure our now unneeded items find good homes and help others. So sharing books seems to be ideal! But other items are making their way into the reuse, recycle life!
I packed up five boxes of Lego to donate to the Giving Brick, which recycles Lego back into building sets. The fixtures and fans we had removed from our new home are now at ReStore which is run by Habitat for Humanity. We have more items to go to them. We are waiting to combine as much as we can in one trip over to the store. Right now, we have a shoe holder, five air vent covers and am waiting for the old towel racks to come down in the bathroom.
We have bags upon bags of clothes and linens to give to National Council of Jewish Women for a fund raiser. They collect these used items and give them to a store called Savors, who then pays them by the pound for the items. An easy way to earn money. I think I have seven bags already with more to go.
I have already donated 300 books to my synagogue’s library. And about 10 more to the Jewish Federation to take on a mission to Bulgaria and Romania that I was supposed to be on. That trip was cancelled for now, but I hope they can bring the books later, even though I probably will not be able to go.
My offer got immediate responses! Some of my Facebook buddies took me up on my offer. My first taker came about 15 minutes after I posted. She wanted a funny novel.
Another came back with telling me I made a kind offer, and she knew of an organization that takes books for seniors. Well that is good for me as well. She had put me in contact with Phoenix Family. Not sure if it will work out as most senior centers are closed to visitors and probably don’t want books. But there is the future.
A third person with two young boys wanted a puzzle. She knows us. We have tons of jigsaw puzzles. But most were packed up. I did have Springbok 2000 piece that needed a new home. It was picked up early this morning from my front door.
Two others requested novels of different genres. Those I had as well. So two other books sit on my on my front stoop for pick up.
It might not be much, but perhaps my books can bring a bit of joy to those feeling isolated and alone. I have many more to share. In fact the photos I put up do not show the bookcase filled with children’s books. Oy being a bookaholic is exhausting when you have to move.
Let me know if you live in the KC Metro and are interested!
http://thegivingbrick.org/index.html
zicharonot 
These are all such wonderful ways to share the things you no longer need or want or have the space for. Great ideas!
Thanks. We are trying to be ‘green.’
Absolutely perfect ideas and making that difference 🙂
Always make lemonade from lemons