What do you do with books after you’ve finished reading them? Where do you get books? A book exchange party offers an opportunity to dispose of books you’re finished with and to pick up new reading material.
Even if you like to keep books, stored in bookcases slowly (or quickly) taking over your house, chances are you don’t hang on to each and every book. As attractive as I find the idea of a library room lined with floor-to-ceiling books, my book storage is currently confined to two shelving units in my office. My reading capacity exceeds that. If you are a reader, you likely welcome new book sources, whether you buy new books, frequent used book stores, or borrow books from libraries and friends.
Consider hosting a book exchange party. Invite a bunch of readers over and tell them to bring books they no longer wish to keep. Have a table or two set up to hold the books. In between visiting and chatting over glasses of wine or cups of tea, guests can browse through the books and select ones to take home. Guests can ask the previous owner about books which interest them before making their selection. You may find a lively discussion or two arise about a book several in the group have read. You can supply snacks, if you wish, or ask each guest to bring a little something to share.
What do you do at the end of the party with left-over, unclaimed books? Donate them to charity. Find a worthy charity that accepts used books. In my home city, the Children’s Hospital runs a used-book sale twice a year in one of the city’s shopping malls as a fund-raiser. Book donations are accepted throughout the year at all local fire halls.
Happy Reading!
I love this Donna. When I moved from Milwaukee to Florida, I had to sadly divest myself ot an entire library of books because I would not have adequate space for them. I donated over a thousand books to the local library and they were so grateful! Most libraries have no budget for books anymore and depend on donations from publishers and private citizens. What they couldn’t use, I took to Goodwill. But I love the idea of a book exchange party! I’d love that!
Jacquie, I’ve hosted one book exchange party after I heard about the idea from my sister, who attended one at a friend’s place. I plan to host more. Its a fun way to exchange books and get together with other readers.