[Bookstoprisoners] drop off bins

Sand and Sea Sells Used Books Etc. sandncsells at ameritech.net
Sat Jun 2 17:35:13 CDT 2007


Although I really like the "hole in the box" idea, most of our sites don't have room for large boxes.  Some barely have room for our tote and need picked up frequently to keep down overflow.  I really think that other that signing, we don't have much choice but to depend on the honesty of people.  

One of the reasons we have no campus drop off is that last semester I noticed several students taking books out of our donation box at UIBS (and I didn't hesitate to take them right out of their hands and give them a nice little lecture).  I see it happen all the time down there.  Not saying that all students are worse than all other people but they are always needing books, money for books, or other college expenses. The other reason we don't have drops there is that I know a male student that sells on Amazon also and he considers campus one of the best free book places ever.  He even walks the building halls and common study areas looking for books that have been momentarily left on tables unattended. He is known for dumpster diving at the apartments, dorms, and Greek houses for books.  I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to take our donated books for his own sales on Amazon. In January, Feb. and March we had VERY few listable books on Amazon from the bins.  This could be why.....the best books are gone before we can get them for one reason or another.

Deb

Deb Sanderson
Owner/Buyer
Sand and Sea Sells Used Books Etc.
www.sandncsells.com


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Holley K 
  To: bookstoprisoners at lists.chambana.net 
  Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 1:03 PM
  Subject: [Bookstoprisoners] drop off bins


  Can you get bins that are locked with a slot?    You don't want people picking out the best books and putting a buck in.  After all you are selling books on amazon to pay for rent and packing supplies.  Frankly I don't think if people pick out a book from a donation bin,   they will care if there is a sign "do not take" .  If bins are too expensive how about using an appliance box or something that is taped shut and cutting out a slot large enough for a large book?   
  Holley

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    Today's Topics:

    1. Re: BooksToPrisoners Digest, Vol 24, Issue 19 (adiaz25 at uiuc.edu)
    2. National BTP Conference (Suzanne Linder)
    3. April's suggestion re jail requests (yvette scheven)


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Message: 1
    Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2007 17:47:39 -0500 (CDT)
    From: 
    Subject: [Bookstoprisoners] Re: BooksToPrisoners Digest, Vol 24, Issue
    19
    To: bookstoprisoners at lists.chambana.net
    Message-ID: <20070601174739.AQM71635 at expms2.cites.uiuc.edu>
    Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

    I agree with Niloofar, and I think it's kind of appalling that people think that it's ok to steal books from the donation bins. Inmates don't have the same kind of access to books as everyone else-- If the people at Strawberry Fields or wherever want books and don't want to pay for them, I don't see why they don't just go to the library. I think the best solution to the problem would be to make the donation sign bigger, and specifically put a sign on the bins that says "Please do not remove books from bins." People may think that it's ok to take a few books, but if many people think that, it can significantly drain our resources. And, of course, it is probably the best books that they're taking (both in terms of interestingness and in terms of resale value). I don't understand why anyone would want to do this to a non-profit that is trying to help disadvantaged people, and I think that such a sign on the bins would help to deter theft. 

    -April

    ---- Original message ----
    >Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2007 13:11:13 -0500 (CDT)
    >From: bookstoprisoners-request at lists.chambana.net 
    >Subject: BooksToPrisoners Digest, Vol 24, Issue 19 
    >To: bookstoprisoners at lists.chambana.net
    >
    >Send BooksToPrisoners mailing list submissions to
    > bookstoprisoners at lists.chambana.net
    >
    >To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
    > http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/bookstoprisoners
    >or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
    > bookstoprisoners-request at lists.chambana.net
    >
    >You can reach the person managing the list at
    > bookstoprisoners-owner at lists.chambana.net
    >
    >When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
    >than "Re: Contents of BooksToPrisoners digest..."
    >
    >
    >Today's Topics:
    >
    > 1. just an idea . . . (Jacqueline Hannah)
    > 2. Terre Haute letter (Brian Dolinar)
    > 3. Re: just an idea . . . (Jay Schubert)
    >
    >
    >----------------------------------------------------------------------
    >
    >Message: 1
    >Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 12:09:50 -0500
    >From: "Jacqueline Hannah" 
    >Subject: [Bookstoprisoners] just an idea . . .
    >To: bookstoprisoners at lists.chambana.net
    >Message-ID:
    > 
    >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
    >
    >Hello all,
    >
    >I am a lurker, I use to be involved in packing parties years ago now and I
    >am hoping to get involved again soon. Just wanted to share an insight -
    >
    >I use to work at Strawberry Fields and now work at Common Ground Food
    >Co-op. Both of these stores are drop off sites for BTP. I can tell you
    >from working at both that people "shop" the drop off bins. Many feel guilty
    >about it, but everyone does it. What I have heard over and over, though, is
    >that folks wish there were a donation envelope they could pick up or
    >something to send BTP some money for the books they pick up. Of course, you
    >probably don't want to encourage the book "shopping" at the drop off bins,
    >but if there were just a little envelope on the side of each drop off box
    >with pre-addressed envelopes and simple donation cards (photocopied, cheap)
    >inside it might encourage more donations both from the shoppers and the
    >grateful book donators (of which I am often one) who appreciate somewhere to
    >take these books so they don't go to landfills.
    >
    >If the sounded like something BTP would like to pursue and the help was
    >needed, I would be happy to design a basic donation reply form to fit into
    >standard envelopes and get them copied and cut. If this doesn't sound like
    >it would work for BTP or isn't something practical to impliment at this
    >time, that's fine too. Just thought I'd share what I had been hearing from
    >dozens of community members.
    >
    >- Jacqueline Hannah
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    >------------------------------
    >
    >Message: 2
    >Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 13:39:45 -0500
    >From: "Brian Dolinar" 
    >Subject: [Bookstoprisoners] Terre Haute letter
    >To: BTP 
    >Message-ID:
    > 
    >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
    >
    >Anybody seen where my letter from Terre Haute is?
    >
    >BD
    >-- 
    >Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
    >303 W. Locust St.
    >Urbana, IL 61801
    >briandolinar at gmail.com
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    >------------------------------
    >
    >Message: 3
    >Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 16:02:07 -0500
    >From: "Jay Schubert" 
    >Subject: Re: [Bookstoprisoners] just an idea . . .
    >To: "Jacqueline Hannah" , "Sandra Ahten"
    > 
    >Cc: bookstoprisoners at lists.chambana.net
    >Message-ID:
    > <4bbf615f0705301402u17d0af65x8b5b44a3d2dbaa55 at mail.gmail.com>
    >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
    >
    >Jacqueline,
    >
    >What an interesting idea and solution to this issue! I'm not at all
    >surprised to hear that people pull books out of the collection bins (I
    >personally also pull the occasional book from the shelves of our packing
    >facility) and that they feel like they'd like to be able to contribute
    >financially when they do. We enjoy the fortunate position of having no
    >particular shortage of books but do have a constant need for funds to ship
    >them out. In this way, this idea sounds great.
    >
    >My only concern would be that, as much as it sometimes may not look to be
    >the case, we really try to empty the bins as often as possible and I'd hate
    >to give any impression that we're selling books (or offering them in
    >exchange for donations) out of the space that these businesses graciously
    >offer to be used to facilitate donations.
    >
    >I'd say that if you keep it as simple as you mention in your email (not
    >implying that we're encouraging people to shop the bins), it would be great!
    >
    >As far as where to send and how to address the checks when people send in
    >the card, perhaps Sandra can tell us. She mentioned to me the other day
    >that some of our donation info on the web site may be out of date as our
    >financial arrangement with the IMC has changed recently. Sandra, can you
    >comment?
    >
    >Thanks,
    >Jay
    >
    >
    >
    >On 5/30/07, Jacqueline Hannah wrote:
    >>
    >> Hello all,
    >>
    >> I am a lurker, I use to be involved in packing parties years ago now and I
    >> am hoping to get involved again soon. Just wanted to share an insight -
    >>
    >> I use to work at Strawberry Fields and now work at Common Ground Food
    >> Co-op. Both of these stores are drop off sites for BTP. I can tell you
    >> from working at both that people "shop" the drop off bins. Many feel guilty
    >> about it, but everyone does it. What I have heard over and over, though, is
    >> that folks wish there were a donation envelope they could pick up or
    >> something to send BTP some money for the books they pick up. Of course, you
    >> probably don't want to encourage the book "shopping" at the drop off bins,
    >> but if there were just a little envelope on the side of each drop off box
    >> with pre-addressed envelopes and simple donation cards (photocopied, cheap)
    >> inside it might encourage more donations both from the shoppers and the
    >> grateful book donators (of which I am often one) who appreciate somewhere to
    >> take these books so they don't go to landfills.
    >>
    >> If the sounded like something BTP would like to pursue and the help was
    >> needed, I would be happy to design a basic donation reply form to fit into
    >> standard envelopes and get them copied and cut. If this doesn't sound like
    >> it would work for BTP or isn't something practical to impliment at this
    >> time, that's fine too. Just thought I'd share what I had been hearing from
    >> dozens of community members.
    >>
    >> - Jacqueline Hannah
    >>
    >>
    >> _______________________________________________
    >> BooksToPrisoners mailing list
    >> BooksToPrisoners at lists.chambana.net
    >> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/bookstoprisoners
    >>
    >>
    >
    >
    >-- 
    >Jay
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    >------------------------------
    >
    >_______________________________________________
    >BooksToPrisoners mailing list
    >BooksToPrisoners at lists.chambana.net
    >http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/bookstoprisoners
    >
    >
    >End of BooksToPrisoners Digest, Vol 24, Issue 19
    >************************************************


    ------------------------------

    Message: 2
    Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 09:56:45 -0500
    From: "Suzanne Linder" 
    Subject: [Bookstoprisoners] National BTP Conference
    To: "bookstoprisoners at lists.chambana.net"

    Message-ID:
    <3f0a48830706020756u5e30a845nfe4a2fbdf9cd46f9 at mail.gmail.com>
    Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"



    Hello BTPers--

    As some of you have already heard, Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners is
    going to be hosting a National Books to Prisoners Conference in the fall.
    The first national BTP conference was hosted in Philadelphia in 2003 (before
    UCBTP existed). People who are involved in prison book projects all over
    the country got together for a weekend to talk about the challenges they
    face, share solutions and spend time networking and they would like to get
    together again. We will be hosting the second conference at the IMC
    November 2-4, 2007 and are hoping to add a track for people who are
    interested in starting a books to prisoners organization.

    I have volunteered to take the lead in organizing the conference and would
    like to invite anyone who is interested in helping to plan the conference to
    come to Jay and my house for a potluck dinner / initial planning
    meeting on Thursday,
    June 14 at 6 PM. We will be working to define the scope of the conference
    and writing a mission statement / statement of objectives that can be
    included with the publicity materials. We will also be discussing fund
    raising ideas and hopefully can put together a preliminary timeline of tasks
    that will need to be accomplished in order to pull the conference off.
    There will be a wide variety of work to be done over the summer and in the
    fall (from arranging housing and meals to schedule panelists to transporting
    people from the airport to making the IMC look spiffy to contacting library
    schools with advertisements...you get the idea) and we would love to have
    everyone who is interested in helping join us. Please do not feel that you
    need to be key staff or a regular volunteer to help with this effort (in
    fact, our key staff have their plates pretty full keeping BTP running on a
    day to day basis). This is also only the first of several organizational
    meetings, if you don't want to be in on the planning, we can still use your
    help with specific tasks over the summer and fall.

    Please consider joining us. I am leaving town tomorrow and will not be back
    until June 12th. Please reply directly to me if you will be coming to this
    meeting but know that I will not be able to reply to you until I get back
    into the country. If you have questions in the meantime, you can email Jay
    at jay.schubert at gmail.com

    Recap:

    ANYONE who is interested
    Organizational meeting for National BTP Conference
    Thursday, June 14th 6 PM
    6 Willowbrook Ct, Champaign (Willowbrook is a cul-de-sac on the south side
    of Windsor road, three streets west of Neil)
    Please bring something to share

    Hope to see you there!
    Suzanne
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    Message: 3
    Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 11:33:00 -0500
    From: yvette scheven 
    Subject: [Bookstoprisoners] April's suggestion re jail requests
    To: bookstoprisoners at lists.chambana.net
    Message-ID: 
    Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

    Glad you brought that up, April. Before Friday, I filled several 
    requests for the Satellite, and wondered how would one know they had 
    been filled. Another solution would be to place a printout of the 
    requests on the top of each bin, and then check off those found.


    ------------------------------

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    End of BooksToPrisoners Digest, Vol 25, Issue 1
    ***********************************************





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