I've been out of college for a number of years, and most of my textbooks were sold back or given away a long time ago. But as an English major and Religious Studies minor in love with both subjects, there were a lot of texts I kept as reference, in case there was a time at some point when I wanted to pull them off the shelf to look something up, or re-read something. Realistically, though? The only time they really get moved is when I dust.
Last night I read on Tumblr about a book project being orchestrated by a group trying to collect and build (or re-build) libraries for women incarcerated (primarily for non-violent crimes like shoplifting or prostitution). While fiction books were greatly appreciated and accepted, the post said, what they were truly hoping to receive were non-fiction books: text books, workbooks, books in different languages, books about different cultures, about parenting, about self-improvement and self-employment. Books that could be used as study aids so that the women could use the jail time to study for and pass their high school equivalency exams. Books that could teach them about being single mothers, or about exercise and diet, or simply about improving literacy skills so that, when they are released, they have better opportunities for breaking the jail cycle.
The books needed to be softcover, with no spiral bindings. Even with simple books, in jail there is danger of them becoming weapons. Outdated books were ok; they could be catalysts for sparking a desire to learn more about the subjects discussed. But they needed to be postmarked by November 30 in order to meet the project goal deadline.
This morning I took a good look at just one of the 10 bookshelves I keep in my house (not even counting the stacks of books in my closet and in boxes in the bedroom....not even thinking about the 4 boxes in my car, or the 20 in my storage unit). While a few of my texts kept were thick, heavy anthologies of literature and, therefore, not suitable to send, a lot more weren't. I've held onto them for years, a few of them for a couple of decades, and yet suddenly, this morning, I found it very easy to pull 5 off the shelf and prepare them for mailing. I might have done more if I'd had time, but I was limited in terms of mailing materials and needing to dash off to work, especially knowing I'd need to mail it today in order to meet that deadline.
Just five books...about diabetes, about religious diversity, about contraception, about non-violent protest. Five books that may now pass through dozens of hands, and may spark something that changes the path someone has stepped on but no longer wants to travel.
Just five. Imagine what a whole library could do.
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