“The Grapes of Wrath” shares a shelf with vampire romance novels and children’s stories in a small bookcase in the loggia area of the library at Sinclair Community College. The books are free and quickly being snatched up.
“I think we just lost a good one,” said John Boucuvalas, an English and reading Developmental Studies faculty member, as he refilled the shelves from a basket he carries across campus. “I just put one out about a minute ago.”
Boucuvalas started the free book library in November, in collaboration with Project Read, a Sinclair organization that gives away gently used books to those in need. He said that at first the founding members had some ideas about what students would like, but “it turns out about everything tends to get taken…children’s books, fiction, nonfiction and comic books even.”
The project gets about 70 “seed books” from Project Read each month, and supplements those with about 25 books that are donated each month by students, faculty and staff in a box near the bookshelves.
“I would love to publicly thank those anonymous citizens who are donating to a good cause,” said Boucuvalas.
Boucuvalas wanted to start the free book project when he realized that reading isn’t something that some of his students have the chance to do in their free time.
“Reading just isn’t a way of life for some students, and I wanted to increase their opportunities to have access to books,” he said. “I wanted to help sell the concept of reading, in the same way I might encourage people to exercise and be healthy physically. Exercising your mind with reading as a student is a good way to stay sharp.”
Michael Wilson, a Music student at Sinclair, said he regularly takes books from the shelves, and especially likes looking for reference books.
Another student said that her son had been excited about a book about the Hindenburg that he found on the shelves. So far, every book has been taken within a month of being placed out.
“I find myself checking on it like a garden,” said Boucuvalas. “When it’s low I add some more books.”
He hopes that eventually the project will become self-sustaining with regular donations and will be able to survive without having to be replenished. He said there are plans for the area to be expanded as a hangout place for students, and that the free bookshelves with help contribute to the community feel of the loggia area.
“It’s really nice to see people taking ownership, and [they] haven’t abused it, are willing to donate, are not taking more than they need,” he said. “It’s like an orphanage for books. We’re finding books a good home.”