[Bookstoprisoners] An invitation and an idea

[Suzanne Linder]

Hello all--

I posted this earlier this week to the jail library listserve so I apologize
for double posting. The invitation is for any BTPer interested in the jail
library project. You don't need to be serving as a volunteer in order to
join us! The only thing I ask is that you RSVP and bring a dish to share.

An Invitation

Because we have never all been in the same place (and a number of us have
never met each other), Jay and I would like to invite everyone to a
potluckat Jay's house on Saturday,
November 19th at 6 PM. This potluck will be a time to meet each other face
to face as well as discuss where we go from here. Some questions we should
address are: what is working about our current check out/in system and what
should change? Where are the holes in our collection and how can we build
our collection? How frequently do we want to offer library service in the
winter? Please bring your thoughts on these questions as well as any other
questions you have, your calendar, and a dish to share. Jay lives at 508 E
Elm in Urbana (corner of Elm and Grove, one block south of the Urbana
Schnucks), just three blocks east of the Elm street entrance to the IMC.


An Idea

What if we put together an alternative gift giving program for the holiday
season? Lots of people at this time of year are looking for ways to give
gifts to people who already have everything. What if we made a list of often
requested books both in the downtown jail and books requested by inmates
through BTP and figured out a way for people to purchase those books in
honor of their friend or family member (either by a cash donation or by
buying the book and dropping it off at a designated location). I don't think
this would take too much work to organize. We would need to generate a list,
publish it on the website and to other progressive organizations, figure out
a way to keep the book donations organized, and have a lovely card to send
to the person that the gift was given in honor of. I would be willing to do
some of the legwork to organize this when I get back into town next week. Is
there anyone who would like to work with me on this?

Suzanne
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