Bethanne Patrick

Merry and Desperate? Here's Where to Donate
December 24, 2007

Let me explain: Yesterday I was amused to read Motoko Rich's "Remembrance of Things Unread" in The New York Times. "In the season of gift-giving, the ratio of books bought to books read tilts heavily toward the bought," Rich writes. "That’s partly because as shopping becomes more frantic, books are the refuge of the desperate."

I can think of nothing better to wish my blog readers a holiday season that is merry and full of book buying. Forget the haphazard bottle of wine, the chocolates that will be forgotten on a high shelf, the plastic toy that will never biodegrade. If you buy a book, you'll be giving a gift that says I believe in the power of reading. I believe in the call of stories. I believe that getting lost in a good book is an experience to be passed along. I believe in as much and as accurate information as possible. 

I believe that even if the book I give as a gift winds up supporting someone's computer monitor that it is a purchase that supports my industry. A few years ago at holiday time one client sent me a gift of food from a big, well-known company. Another sent me a single book that she'd taken the time to select and wrap and send along with a note saying "I loved this, and I hope you will, too." 

Guess which one I preferred? I don't even remember what the food was any more, but that book is still in my library. And Motoko Rich is right: I haven't read it. That's fine. I have many books I haven't read yet on my shelves. I can't wait to get to each and every one of them. 

After all, the wonderful thing about a book is that if you truly don't want to read it or have it in your house, you can give it to someone else. Please don't give it to James Patterson, who opines in Rich's piece that "Too many people give books for the wrong reasons," citing snob appeal as one of those (I think that means that they are not giving copies of Patterson's books). If you get a book you really don't want, please remember that there are people who would give anything to read it. Here are a few worthy ideas:

-- As I've written about before in my various blogs, your local library will no doubt be as thrilled as mine is to receive books in great shape to sell on their Friends of the Library carts (too often they receive cartons of foxed and mildewed outdated textbooks).

-- Books for Soldiers has the best slogan: "Care Packages for the Mind." 

                                                                 

-- First Book has partnered with Simon & Schuster to donate one new book for every dollar donated -- up to one million books for children in need! But they'll also take donations of brand-new children's books.
     

                                                      

Posted by Bethanne Patrick on December 24, 2007 | Comments (0)