By Kristine Bailey kob@iusb.edu
Some students opt to sell their textbooks back to the bookstore at a fraction of the price they paid at the beginning of the semester. Others try their luck at posting, selling and shipping off old books via eBay or through Amazon. There are students who actually keep their textbooks "for future reference," which means they will sit on shelves or in boxes for years until they become obsolete or irrelevant. There is another way. Donating used books can make a world of difference. The green and white boxes, located in lounges and hallways across campus, connect IU South Bend to the world through the gift of books. While it may simply look like an easy place to drop off unwanted, but good condition, books, it is much more. By collecting the books in the green boxes and redistributing them, Better World Books (BWB) has raised more than $3.1 million for literacy and education. BWB is "a global bookstore that harnesses the power of capitalism to bring literacy and opportunity to people around the world," according to the company's website. Their efforts have supported literacy groups as diverse as the National Center for Family Literacy, Books for Africa, the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend, and the New Orleans Public Library Foundation. The boxes on campus were placed there by the Shurz Library, the Civil Rights Heritage Center and IUSB's bookstore. In return for their efforts to collect the books and get them collected, the groups receive between 10-15 percent of the revenue generated from the sale of the books. An additional 10-15 percent of book revenue goes towards literacy efforts in South Bend and around the world.
"That's revenue, not profit," sustainability coordinator Kelly Franco pointed out. Although the company is doing well these days, their first priority is to pay the literacy efforts and the organizations that organize the book drives first. In fact, much of the company's efforts are focused on the greater good versus company profits.
"No books go to the landfill from Better World Books," stated Franco. Their in-house recycling efforts are so strong, in fact, that they earn money on it. One of the principles of BWB is: "Invest well. Waste not. Choose wisely; consider the return on your efforts & the impact in your actions. Reuse, reuse, reuse….then reduce & recycle." Recycling and reducing waste, especially reusing materials, is central to the company's ethics. Although a nursing textbook may be out of date or an older edition, it is still useful and valuable in Africa, for instance. "Universities in Africa have a severe book famine," explained Franco. Through their book donations to Africa and other areas around the world, BWB is opening the worlds of literature education to potentially millions of people.
To put green icing on this socially conscious company, their shipments to Africa are carbons neutral. Through the purchase of carbon offsets, Franco said, they are able to shrink the company's carbon footprint. In the warehouse, the mostly twenty-something staff works diligently. Most wear jeans and ear buds. Although they may be tuned in to their own music or news choices, they are all tuned in to the mission of the company. There aren't dress codes or strict rules, just an ethical company focus bent on doing the most good it can in the most places. The books are sold on the BWB website, and also through a variety of online book selling sites, such as Amazon and Biblio. The money that comes from the book sales goes right to literacy efforts and the non-profits that collect the books. As a conduit for social change, BWB is getting the most bang for donated book bucks. This semester, before selling back a textbook to the bookstore or giving it to the trash can, think about putting it in the green and white box. Next semester, check out the BWB website for new-to-you textbooks. Books make great gifts, and shopping is easy from their website. Making a difference can be easy. Drop in a book, and give to the world.
Learn more about Better World Books at www.betterworldbooks.com
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