[Libs-Or] Fwd: Better World Books

[Abbie Anderson]

We've been using Better World Books at North Bend Public Library for 
about a year and a half now. It has been a huge benefit for us. You 
won't make much money from the 15% commission, but they provide you with 
boxes and UPS labels (which you print out), and they pay for UPS 
shipping. You just have to be able to box up the materials and get 
online to print the labels and schedule the pick-up. Knowing that the 
books will be used well (they will be sold to eager readers worldwide, 
or used in literacy programs worldwide, or recycled) is a big bonus. You 
can also apply to them for grants for your own local literacy projects.

Access to BWB helped us recruit and organize volunteers to sort our book 
donations year round. The volunteers were inspired to help the library 
earn more money by skimming off the best quality items, checking their 
value, and selling them online directly through an Amazon Storefront for 
the Friends (http://ow.ly/oY4Qh). The organized sorting effort also 
improved the quality of books on our Friends' "Neverending" Sale 
shelves, *and* improved the books and the organization of the books for 
the Friends' big local sales. We have seen revenue from the Neverending 
sale go up to a steady $250+/month, and online sales are also about 
$300/month. For us, that's a lot!

I have heard that a PDX-area library's Friends have been using BWB to 
great success-was it Beaverton?

I know a lot of libraries use BWB for their discards--books that the 
Friends usually aren't going to want for their sales.

One caveat: having also bought books from BWB on Amazon, I can say as a 
customer that I don't like their packaging. They use this weird 
shrink-wrap stuff for single-book orders, which clings to the book 
cover. The book I most recently got from them was fine, thanks to the 
mylar cover on the ex-library book I purchased, but I can see this stuff 
causing damage, or allowing damage in transit.

Cheers,
Abbie Anderson

On 08/04/2014 08:04 PM, Ruth Murray wrote:
> Can anyone help my friend? Her email is neichste at pdx.edu 
> <mailto:neichste at pdx.edu>  Thanks- Ruth
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: *Nancy Eichsteadt* <neichste at pdx.edu <mailto:neichste at pdx.edu>>
> Date: Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 9:54 AM
> Subject: Better World Books
> To: Ruth Murray <murrayr at pdx.edu <mailto:murrayr at pdx.edu>>
>
>
> Hi Ruth,
> I'm recovering from our big book sale this weekend. We ended up with 
> lots of leftovers that should have gone to a buyer who backed out at 
> the last minute. I'm looking online at "Better World Books." I realize 
> they are a for-profit organization that supposedly helps with literacy 
> issues world-wide. What does the library community think of this group?
> Thanks,
> Nancy
>
> -- 
>
> Nancy Eichsteadt
> Marketing and outreach
> Graduate School of Education
> Executive Council Member, PSU-AAUP
> Portland State University
>
> PO Box 751
> 615 SW Harrison
> Suite 412
> Portland, Oregon 97207-0751
> Phone 503-725-5577 <tel:503-725-5577>
> Fax 503-725-5599 <tel:503-725-5599>
> neichste at pdx.edu <mailto:neichste at pdx.edu>
> Graduate School of Education <http://www.pdx.edu/education>
> Graduate School of Education Blog <http://schoolofed.wordpress.com/>
>
> *
> *
>
>
>
> -- 
> Ruth Murray
> Portland State University GSE
> Library Media Advisor/Instructor
> 503 725- 9860
> Office- Education 310B
> Hours- Tuesday and Thursday by appointment
> PO Box 751
> Portland, Oregon 97207
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 

**************************
Abbie Anderson
Assistant Director
North Bend Public Library
(541) 756-1007 ext 0035

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