Retired textbooks offered new careers
Green options at the Bookstore
April 20, 2011
Every student knows textbooks cost a pile of money. They also know their texts are essential to learning – part of the expense of education. But at the end of the academic semester, many texts become redundant.
Sometimes students can salvage half the cost of a text. For versions still currently used, the Camosun Bookstore has specific "buyback" days, paying out 50% of the original price to resell at a reduced sticker price. This environmentally-friendly option is popular: the Camosun Bookstore sells approximately 5,000 used texts each year.
You can't judge a book by its cover
But what about the texts destined to gather dust in a bookcase or rot in a landfill? Since 2006, the Bookstore has partnered with Better World Books to distribute donated books to less fortunate people all over the world.
"It's a good new story," says Laura-Lea Berna, Manager of Camosun's Bookstore. "Something which seemed to have no value suddenly has extended value."
Laura-Lee Berna with used books at the Camosun Bookstore
Better World Books is a for-profit social enterprise that collects and sells books online with each sale generating funds for literacy initiatives around the world. With more than eight million new and used titles in stock, Better World Books is a self-sustaining company that balances the social, economic and environmental values of its stakeholders. Better World Books diverts books from landfills by conducting book drives on 1,800 college campuses, and by collecting discards from over 2,000 libraries.
Five years of Camosun Bookstore's donations have diverted 11,564 kilograms of books (37.5 cubic metres) from landfills, preserved 309 trees, conserved 691,474 liters of water, diverted 12,025 kilograms of green house gases, and saved 61,526 kilowatts of electricity.
Books can be donated to Better World Books at either college campus bookstore. Donors can be sure their books will take on new life, not only contributing to environmental sustainability but also helping those less fortunate read – a priceless gift and bettering communities, one person at a time.
"The Camosun Bookstore is committed to making sure there are green options available," says Berna. "Whether offering options to recycle texts, green options for stationery supplies, or refillable water bottles."
Comments: 2. Page 1 of 1.
Robocop says:
26-Apr-2011 8:08pm
It is a plus that this for-profit organization gives some (how much I wonder...) of it's proceeds to 'literacy initiatives', but really, if the students are paying for the books, 'donating' them, then why should a corporation be profiting? This should be a Non-profit organization, then I would consider giving all of my books to the cause.
Admin: You make an interesting point. For the college Bookstore, the relationship with Better World Books works. A typical book donation is from a student who has tried to sell back their book during buyback and has found that the book is not being bought back (i.e. has no $ value for Camosun or our buyback partner, who buys on behalf of academic institutions all over North America).
Given that Better World Books does all the leg work (recycling when a book has no value, listing books where they may still realize value from an online platform - BBW lists on multiple online platforms which requires technology and resource investments - sending books all over the world, and donating to worthwhile literacy charities), we feel that their for-profit business model is legitimate.
Check out http://www.betterworldbooks.com/info.aspx?f=our_impact for the BBW take on their actions.
We're proud of our contributions to literacy and the environment. Of course, students are free to donate to organizations that meet their personal requirements. We offer BBW only as an option that we believe in.
1 says:
09-Mar-2012 12:48am
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