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By Mary Alice Garrett
This story originally appeared January 1, 2009 in The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware.
A 40-year recycling effort has resulted in more than $550,000 in college scholarships for Delaware women.
In 1969, a few members of the Wilmington Branch of the American Association of University Women parlayed one table of used books into $544 at a Community Day at Concord Mall. Little did members realize they had started a sale that would grow to 50,000 used books with sales of $50,000 each year.
The Dollars for Scholars sale moved from Concord Mall to TriState Mall with one stint at Willingtown Square in downtown Wilmington. It returned to Concord Mall in 1983, where it ranks second to Santa Claus at attracting customers. Although traditionally held in February, it will be March 5-8 in 2009.
The book sale has grown from one table to 121 tables and runs the length of the mall. The operation has become an almost year-round project. No longer are members storing the books in their basements and carting books and tables to the mall in their own cars. Instead, they've set up book warehouses, first in schools and later in office parks where members process the donated books.
Finding that rare first-edition book is one of the lures that keeps volunteers involved in the used-book process.
"It's like Christmas morning every time you open a box. You never know what you'll get," said book room co-chair Wendy Harris. "Everyone gets in there, and they find a gem." Harris is joined by Sharon Hanrahan, book sale co-chair, and a loyal group of volunteers at the book warehouse at 3 Germay Drive, off Maryland Avenue, southwest of Wilmington. Most Monday and Thursday mornings they sort, price and store the books.
Sometimes, volunteers sort through moldy textbooks; other times, they may discover a real find, like "Tales of Grizzly Bear" published in 1927 that fetched $400 from a dealer. Many books are in mint condition and on best-seller lists.
Books tell a lot about their owners, volunteers note.
Ellen Clarke has volunteered almost 40 years. This summer, she picked up four boxes of like-new mysteries belonging to one woman. Her daughter was concerned that the woman was spending excessively on books. "I told her, 'That's her pleasure,' " said Clarke.
Arlita McGregor and Meredith McGregor (no relation), both former AAUW branch presidents, have been involved with the book sale for a number of years. Helga Ganci is another long-timer with the event. She was book sale co-chair for five years. "No one told me there was a limit," she said.
Volunteers have turned up a number of items inside books. A fake book (with a hiding place inside) contained valuable gold coins. They tracked down the donor and returned the coins.
"We found a pack of family photos in a book. The kid [who had been given it] had never opened the book," said Rita Panar, former book room chair who now oversees the physical move of all the books to the mall.
Getting donations of books can be exciting, also. Just ask Connie Keating, who's been picking up book collections on short notice for more than 25 years. More than once, Keating has scored a book bonanza at the home of an area book collector.
One was the estate of a deceased DuPont Co. scientist that resulted in 15,000 books. "The books were on every subject you could think of," she recalled. The owner had lived on the top of a hill overlooking Hoopes Reservoir. "That was our most exotic pickup."
Two other memorable ones were the collections of the former librarian of Hagley and a curator at Winterthur. "There have been lots of interesting collections over the years," noted Keating. She gets calls regularly from area retirement homes whose residents can't fit their book collections into smaller quarters. Keating and her husband, Ken, sort and price books at the warehouse and work at the book sales.
Volunteers have seen a change in readers' preferences since the sales began.
"It used to romance, romance, romance," said Harris. "Now it's mystery and adventure with science fiction on the rise."
Contrary to popular belief, reading is not dead because of the Internet.
"Our children's section is growing by leaps and bounds. Children go to libraries, but there's nothing like owning your own book," said Harris. Fifteen percent of the sale last year was in children's books.
New last year was a nostalgia section for boomers' children's books, such as the "Hardy Boys" and "Nancy Drew" series. "It was a big hit," noted Harris.
Most paperback novels are 75 cents; most hardback novels are $1 and higher. Collectible books run from a few dollars to several hundred. Coffee table books go for $3 to $25. In addition to books, there are videos, CDs, DVDs, sheet music, jigsaw puzzles and even postcards.
Last year, 372 volunteers helped at the book sale. High school volunteers received community service hours. Book dealers from the region converge on the sale early on the first day.
Book warehouse volunteers buy throughout the year and are some of the best customers. About $2,000 in sales each year are from volunteers. "It's one of the perks of working here," said Harris.
Jack Morgan, Don Kuehn and George Zafis are among the male volunteers who sort, price and stack heavy boxes of books. Kuehn says working at the warehouse is equivalent to two days at the gym. "Without them, we couldn't function," said Panar.
Volunteers stress that the effort is the ultimate in recycling. Donors' cherished book collections are passed on to new, appreciative readers. Books not suitable for the sale go to libraries, churches and charities.
Betsy Greer is among the AAUW scholarship recipients who have joined the branch and promote its educational mission. Greer is now chairwoman of scholarship and memorial gifts. She graduated from Alexis I. duPont High School in 1963 and attended the University of Delaware. "Had it not been for that scholarship, I probably would not have gone to college," she said.
FYI
To donate books or to volunteer, call the AAUW office at 428-0939. Books may be left 9:30--11:15 a.m. most Mondays and Thursdays, when people are volunteering at the AAUW book warehouse, 3 Germay Drive, Unit 5, near Wilmington. Tax receipts are available.
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