Curtis Chung (left) and Alastair Miller, Student Assistants at UBC Library, prepare a shipment for Better World Books.
This story appears in UBC Library’s 2013/14 Community Report. Read more to find out how we’re supporting economic, environmental and social sustainability at UBC.
“We’re just not throwing things out anymore.”
That’s how Rudi Traichel, UBC Library’s Technical Services Librarian, refers to the bottom-line value of the Library’s partnership with Better World Books, a company that links libraries with literacy organizations.
Better World Books takes book donations from libraries and other institutions – UBC Library sends unneeded duplicate books or gifts that do not meet its collection parameters. The materials are assessed and distributed through one of three channels: they are donated to leading literacy initiatives around the world; sold through online booksellers; or recycled – for those materials that cannot be donated or sold. Nothing is sent to a landfill.
UBC Library’s contributions to Better World Books support Room to Read, a global organization seeking to transform the lives of millions of children in the developing world by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Room to Read works in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia.
Since first joining up in 2009, the Library has sent more than 13,000 books to Better World Books. Traichel led the Library’s initial foray into a partnership with the company during a large branch move that necessitated taking a sober last look at discarded items. Since then, he has developed guidelines and supported other Library units sending materials to Better World Books.
Environmental impact reports from Better World Books allow the Library to measure how its participation is helping the environment. For example, per 10,000 books sent to the company, approximately 55% are recycled and 45% reused. This translates to about 160 trees saved; 21,315 pounds of green house gases eliminated; and 21 cubic yards of landfill space conserved.
The Museum of Anthropology, UBC Bookstore and UBC Okanagan Library are also contributors to Better World Books, demonstrating a common desire at UBC to build a sustainable future. Traichel points to the teamwork of multiple Library staff members in supporting the program: “This is a different way for us to re-imagine our collections and what our users need.”
Our sustainability and literacy mission align so perfectly with UBC. Thank you for all of your efforts to contribute to our goals to support literacy (donated over 12 million books, raised over $16 million dollars and reused or recycled over 132 million books to date).
Thanks, Diane. We’re very proud of our relationship with Better World Books and in knowing that we have other campus partners who also have contributed to your organization. We’ll keep you posted on our ongoing efforts to help further the literary vision of BWB.