Thursday, September 18, 2008

Bookshop Charges are as much as you
are Happy to Donate

BOOK-CYCLE has to be Exeter's most unusual bookshop. It does not sell books but gives them away in exchange for a donation. Action Echo has often appealed for help stocking charity shops — but this particular enterprise is not asking for that. Instead, it wants people to pop in to the shop in West Street, across from the House That Moved, and pick up a book. And the reasons for doing so are good.

Half of the money made from the donations is used to send much-needed books to communities in Africa and the other half is being used to pay for trees, which are being planted on a piece of ground the bookshop has been given the use of near Ide. The shop is run by volunteers, including Helen Parkinson, who said: "People can have up to three books a day and they don't have to bring them back. We don't set a charge but ask people to give a donation, as we believe that people should not be kept from having books because of what they can afford".

"We also give books to two orphanages in Tanzania, as well as community projects in Ethiopia, Madagascar and Nigeria". The shop has been in operation since May last year. Apart from the books, it also offers a range of other free services including internet space and a 'Bring Your Own Art' exhibition. It also runs Shelf-Cycle, providing books for cafes and restaurants in Exeter, and operating them on the same basis as in the shop itself — you can take up to three books a day and donate what you like for them at the till when paying your bill.

Apart from wanting people to make the most of the books they have on offer, Book-Cycle would also like to hear from those who would like to volunteer to serve in the shop. If you can help or would like more information, call 01392 420021. Shop opening times vary but in general are from mid-morning to 7.30pm.

Although we have said that Book-Cycle is not particularly looking for books so much as customers, it is keen to have donations of Reader's Digest volumes of condensed novels.
According to Helen, they are very popular in Ethiopia.