Even though our state keeps on slashing education funding, school districts do acquire new textbooks all the time. The 5-10 year old books are usually returned to the district warehouse where they might be used at another school… or get sold online (if there is an employee with the time to do so)… or gather dust for several years before being (sadly) tossed in the dumpster.

Our school has been reluctantly storing a large number of perfectly good “outdated” texts and elementary readers. We had to get rid of them to make space, and no one wants them. We have tried putting them out in “free boxes” for any local resident to use, but hardly anyone takes them. I’ve personally spent hours searching online for a site that will buy these used texts, to earn a bit of money for the school, to no avail. I could donate them to the local Goodwill, they’ll maybe find some shelf space for them, no one would buy them, and eventually they’d get tossed in the dumpster.

BWB has a large market exposure and a vast distribution network. That will hopefully enable someone who wants my old books to find them.

Books filling up landfills is an awful thought for a teacher! Anything would be better than that! So to donate these books to BWB, with free printable shipping labels, is a fantastic option!

OF COURSE I wish I had the time, money, and expertise to directly ship boxes of random books, at my own expense, to the precise schools in rural Africa or Asia that needed those titles. Most of us could never pull that off ourselves, and so BWB seems like the next best thing. They make a profit, donate some texts directly overseas, and give substantial financial support to worthy organizations.

Why are a few people freaking out that they make a profit on our old books? …that is MUCH better than filling up dumpsters! Would they rather see tons and tons of books in the landfill? I hope they do make money on our books, and continue to be a huge profitable business with a very high rating for corporate giving.

I am grateful that BWB exists, and will continue to ship our unwanted texts to them.

University libraries are different from public libraries with regard to retention policies. Whether or not a book is “in demand” is usually very low on the list of criteria. Typically subject specialists review an item under consideration for removal for the permanence of its information, importance to the mission of their particular institution, and availability in consortial institutions.

Take an example — a deep, scholarly history of the Cuban revolution, published in an edition of 500 in 1976 and never reprinted. It’s possible that it won’t be used for ten, twenty years or more — but the information in it will be “current” forever, and its rarity would demand retention.

Scholars in many disciplines travel thousands of miles to consult books and manuscripts a thousand years old and more. This is why libraries demand books on paper meeting ANSI standards for permanence (won’t ever turn brittle).

Finally of course there is the digitization issue. That’s very tricky and again it depends in large part on the importance, rarity, or whatever that lends the print copy special value as a physical artifact — if the information in it is not unique, or was only of ephemeral value to begin with, very often they will sell/give away/toss items as soon as they are safely online. Safely, as in at the Library of Congress, British Library, Internet Archive, etc. — not just on Bob’s hard drive.

Many students believe that “everything is online” already and there is no longer any need to consult dusty old tomes. We are nowhere near that yet — but that historic transition is underway. With the Internet (etc.) now we are socially in a position very similar to people in the decades following the invention of the printing press. When the dust settles, most information-related activities will happen in a very different way from 1989 and even from today.

Better World has been good to me. Great prices, wide selection of books,and great customer service.

Everything I have ordered has arrived in a timely fashion and the condition of the books was either as described or better. This is not a chain store these people cannot expect to find EVERY book they want to be in stock all the time–and all for $10.00
THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO COMPLAIN!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

SO IT’S REALLY TRUE – THAT PEOPLE WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING.

fast shipping (superfast), reasonable shipping, cheap books, FABULOUS selection — what the hell is anybody complaining about? Are you NUTS?

This company is the best one on the planet. Hands down. I simply CANNOT BELIEVE that the word “scam” comes up in Google choices when one types in BWB. What a travesty!!!!!

I started with Amazon tonight and refused to buy because BWB wasn’t coming up immediately and so I went out to Google to get them directly. Sheesh!

They are so NOT A SCAM it’s not even funny! I don’t even have anything to compare them to – they are so out of this world fabulous!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? COMPLAINING about BWB? The other posters are quite right — you are just cheap, miserly bastards who can’t stand that someone does something well and does some good at the same time. Can’t stand it, can ya? LOSERS!!!! Go to hell! You infuriate me – insulting a great company! Go after Comcast or Waste Management or Bank of America if you have so much time on your hands and so much hate!!!!

Michele Monk
Health Integration
Whole Foods & Natural Healing Center
225 East Jefferson St
Yazoo City
MS 39194

So long as the the company does not misappropriate it’s funds (as the United Way has been guilty of), and owners/board live up to their stated commitment (unlike the Walton family, owners of WalMart who are supposed to match employee donations but give less than 2% annually), I fail to understand the resentment, or the arguments against BWB.

Moreover, the claim Rose makes about the tiny disclaimer that BWB being a ‘for profit’ company at the bottom of collegiate donation bins and the lack of honesty therein is faulty logic. Do you issue the same lack of honesty to credit card companies, banks, scholarship applications, contests or giveaways, or Post Office mailing labels for various forms of shipping?

I’ve also noted that the supposed anti-BWB claim to be college students or well read. How is it that a well-read person (or college student) cannot even type correctly or spell small common words? The train of thought or logic used by naysayers is based on negative emotions at best, so please, refrain from making arguments based on faulty logic…

Theresa, there is a difference between poor customer service (examples would have been nice) and dishonest advertising (proof would have been nice as well). You are obviously upset at either the news story or the company itself, perhaps dealing with it so you can clearly make a case…

Peter, libraries attempt to sell unwanted books to …raise funds to stay open. I have worked with the Boston Public Library (again as a volunteer) for their Big Read program, and they along with every other library I know of give local residents the first opportunity to purchase unwanted books. Sheesh man! what do you want them to do, supply your personal library for free? Are you even aware how drastically library funding has been cut by the government??? And let me ask you something, if a library is in a ‘disorganized neighborhood’ –as sociologists call it–, what exactly will be gained by handing out books to people who utilize the library for the free internet access far more than for reading?

To Ward… the last time I checked, one purchased goods “offline” by walking into a store or up to a vendor personally, or by mail order or telephone. An “online” purchase is made by a person using a device (computer, cell phone) connected up to the internet. Given the content and quality of your post, I find it hard to believe you have walked into a library for more than ‘net access. (Which would be–online just so you know.) Kudos to Adam, the librarian, who is entirely correct about the libraries’ vast need to stay current and competitive with book stores. Secondly, if they were a scam, CNN would not have run the story because they require verification of facts, such as proof of the total donations. Thirdly, when purchasing online, ask about a combined shipping rate. Even without it, online stores are vastly cheaper than Barnes and Noble or Borders in most cases. And finally, the library has this neat little thing called a database, which is networked to every library in their territory. So if you cannot find a book, the librarian can search for it and order it from another library. Even one out of state… Nifty hmm?

Samantha is entirely correct about the difficulty in donating books. Selling them at garage sales is also difficult because most people turn to fast access, such as t.v., internet, or movies.

Gerrry, what a fantastically negative opening statement. Now, could you please back it with facts, points, or examples? Thanks!

To John Jorge and Nick, fantastic points gentlemen! Thank you for the examples and the links. And thank you to everyone else for their experiences as customers. You helped me to make the decision to patronize their store and I believe that I will be a long time customer!

Ross, “Because BWB and the other mega-listers probably put another used bookstore out of business every day.” …Uhm… I hate to tell you, but according to the two local book stores that have closed down here, it’s the lack of local support for the bookstores. Most people aren’t literate anymore. Many people here would rather live on welfare and spend their money on drugs and liquor than work and pursue less damaging hobbies. Also, assuming that large companies like BWB are directly responsible for closing smaller stores without any proof is like saying the decline in religious converts and the closure of churches nationwide to a lack of donations is solely due to the interference of the devil.

Those complaining about “mega-book-stores” and buying online/ putting on-ground used sellers out of business–get real! For those of us who do not live near on-ground stores, buying online is a real help. Online shopping is not going away any time soon.

It’s true that you can’t keep everyone happy – there’s always going to be doubters….from what I can see, BWB are doing a good thing on so many levels.

It’s a pleasure to do business with you.

K.

You go Better World Books! Great job, great idea and great commitment to the greater good! Everyone should patronize a B Corporation. Check out a list of socially responsible profitable companies at http://www.bcorporations.net.

So there. If they make a few bucks, so what! At least I get my beloved books in record time, at zero cost for shipping.

So there! (Loud raspberry)

I am also in Australia and order most of the books I read from beterworldbooks – it is one of the few places I can get the books I want secondhand at a good price – I hate people who only complains – at least you give something to a good cause not like other bookstores. Most peolpe ( like me ) really don’t care what you do with the money I pay for the books. –
AT LEAST YOU GUYS AND MOST OF YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB – THAT IS WHAT MATTERS

Recycling our books limits that amount of books being bought brand new, reducing the amount of chemicals and materials being created and used to make new books. Reusing books and other items cuts down the process of waste and the cost!

I bought a book valued at $16.99 USD paid $14 USD and only paid like $3-$4 for international shipping, to buy the same book off of the people supplying the book brand new was going to $16 + $50 for shipping…. that in itself is awesome!

The fact that people are under the impression that these books are being shipped to 3rd world countries and then finding out that they are not should not be sooo disapointed. If yo cared so much about BWB then you would have researched what the do first.

To be honest i think it would be fair in saying (my own opinion) that the money that is sent to these 3rd world countries are probably more profitable to them in the long run. It will stimulise there economy, puts food and there mouths and supply medical supplies. Books arent going to keep them alive!

The profit they refer to is what they made on top of selling the books, they then disperse that amount to the employees and pay back there debt and what is left after that would go to the needy.

you have to understand how a business works when it is for charity, you wouldnt get half the amount of workers if they were not getting paid at the end of the day, after all we need to surviv also!

by books from the website or dont but dont say that this website is not helping!