But did you know that tons of once wept over, laughed with, and well loved books don’t get that second chance.  It’s true.  Sad but true.  Check out the facts.

In honor of Earth Day take Dana’s Official Better World Books’ Blog Pledge.

Repeat after me:

“I, State Your Name, will never throw a book away.  I will donate it or sell it to Better World Books, give it to a friend or make gosh-jolly-darn sure it gets recycled”.

Good for you.  Way to go!  Now go outside and enjoy Earth Day and spread the word:  No more books in landfills!

*Offer not valid on Marketplace purchases.

Yup.  We’re mean and green and we’re proud of it.  Okay well, we’re not mean but you get the idea.  And so does the EPA.  We were just awarded 2009 WasteWise Gold Award for Paper Reduction.

Wanna know why?  We never throw a book away.  Ever.  Any used books we can’t sell are either sent directly to one of our non-profit literacy partners or are recycled.

We have diverted more than 32 million books from landfills while raising $7.6 million in funding for literacy and education initiatives worldwide through the sale of those books.

“Every year, almost a million tons of books are thrown away. We’re proud of our company’s accomplishments reducing that tremendous and unnecessary waste,” says our CEO David Murphy. “By moving discarded books out of landfills and back into the reading cycle, we’re not only helping the environment, but also raising money for good causes and promoting literacy. We are honored to be recognized by the EPA and to receive this WasteWise Gold award.”

So if you want to help us fight the good fight, get out there and hug a tree, then brush yourself off and buy some more used books!

For more information – check out the official press release!

This was the first year the festival was held in Denver and though the weather wasn’t great on Saturday it cleared up and the traffic picked up on Sunday.  Unlike Seattle, where we just had an informational booth, in Denver we were the official bookseller for the festival.

It’s a lot of fun getting to meet our customers face to face as well as both the local and national authors.  One of the highlights for me was getting to meet Mike Farrell who played Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on M*A*S*H.  Of course in addition to his acting, he is well known for his activism and has two books out which he was signing after his talk.  I’ll actually get the chance to sit down Mike for a podcast while when we’re in Chicago for the next Green Festival, May 16 & 17.

I’m looking forward to another fun but exhausting trip out there, so if you’re in the area, come see us.

Are you still wondering what you can do to celebrate Earth Day?

Well for starters, you can buy used books at www.BetterWorldBooks.com AND save 20%!  Just use the coupon code EARTHDAY09 at checkout.  And on Earth Day, we’re doubling all carbon offsets!  In addition to being a great deal, by shopping Better World Books our customers have (as of today):

• diverted 24.4 million pounds of books from landfills
• saved 284,500 trees from being cut down
• saved 12.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere
• and saved 58 million Kwh of electricity from being used

Need some good green reading?  Check out the great deal on Daniel Goleman’s new book:  ECOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE and learn how knowing the hidden impact of what you buy can change everything.

Need more?  Check out all of our Earth Day recommendations from green books and podcasts to our Earth Day Reader’s checklist and more!

You can also help by voting for Better World Books for the Business Week Social Entrepreneurship Award!

First of all Earth Day is not about buying gifts or spending money. Just the opposite, it’s about sustainability and conservation and just general environmental awareness. Also if you think all this green stuff is new, think again. I did a little research and found out that the first Earth Day was in 1970. It was founded by Senator Gaylord Wilson (D-Wisconsin) who called for an environmental teach-in to be held on April 22nd of that year in response to widespread environmental degradation. That year over 20 million people participated. Now Earth Day is observed each year on April 22 by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.

Better World Books will be celebrating Earth Day with a one day special when you reuse first and buy used books. On April 22 only, all used books bought on www.BetterWorldBooks.com will be 20% off. You’ll just enter coupon code EARTHDAY09 during checkout to receive this discount. (Of course shipping will still be free AND Carbon Neutral as always!)

We’ll also have lots of suggestions on how you can go green and celebrate!

Check back on Wednesday for BWB’s Earth Day Celebration and in the mean time let us know how you plan to honor the day!

The book doesn’t choose a cause but gives you options whether you prefer fair trade, organic, all natural or buying local.  The other cool thing about the book is that Summer Rayne actually tried many of the products herself and tells you which are her favorites.

The book is more of a resource than the kind of thing you’ll want to sit down and read cover to cover.  Instead, you’ll want to keep it handy and have it as a reference to look at before you get your money out and start spending.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

This is the second Green Festival I’ve been too.  The first was in DC in November when I had no idea what to expect.  I have come to learn over the last few months how closely tied our environmental and economic issues are.  If you’re not sure what I mean, check out Van Jones’ GREEN COLLAR ECONOMY, Herve Kempf’s HOW THE RICH ARE DESTROYING THE EARTH,  and John Perkins’ THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE just to name a few.

At first I struggled a bit with the idea of the festival.  Many of the speakers talk about the need for us to curb our out of control materialism and cut back on our consumerism in general, and yet the floor of the conference is filled with companies selling their wares.  (Including us!)  But after my interview with John Perkins this past weekend, I got it.  It’s not about cutting consumerism altogether or never buying anything again.  It’s about buying smarter.  Buying used or re-purposed items.  Buying from B Corporations, fair trade companies, organic companies, etc.  And yes – about buying less.  It’s about knowing the companies that you are buying from and making informed decisions.

Many Americans voted for change in the last election and are being encouraged to stay involved and stay or become more active.  One very simple way is to vote with your dollars.  So – if you missed the Seattle Green Fest (or don’t live anywhere near there)…maybe you can catch the Chicago or Denver Green Festivals coming up in May.  I’ll be there.  Stop by the Better World Books bookstore and say hello!

Here at Better World Books, we are all about doing our part to save the environment.  That said, I know sometimes the whole thing can get overwhelming.  You’re not sure how to help and which little thing will really matter.  I can assure you they all do.  You’re efforts to recycle, turn the water off when you brush your teeth and buy books from us all matter.

Now there is something even easier you can do.  Vote Earth.  All you have to do is turn your lights off for one hour.  On Saturday March 28th from 8:30PM to 9:30PM just flip your light switches to off and you are voting for earth over global warming.

This is the third year of Earth Hour, which started in Sydney in 2007 with 2.2 million homes turning their lights off, grew to a global effort last year with 50 million joining in, and has a goal of 1 billion people turning their lights off this year.  Help ‘em out.   It’s easy, meaningful, and the candlelight could be fun.

For more information on Earth Hour, go to www.voteearth2009.org.

If you don’t know me, let me introduce myself. I am Aaron King, and I have the illustrious honor of being Better World Books’ first full time employee. If you ordered any books from us way back in 2003, there is a pretty good chance that I personally packaged them. It has been a pretty cool journey watching us grow from a small basement warehouse (where we had to hand carry every single box of books up and down the stairs) with a few thousand books scattered around to our massive operation today that holds over 2 million books at any given time.

I like our company concept a lot. Why, might you ask? Well, to be consistent with how we have branded this blog, allow me to give you a n#mb#r#d list.

1. I am all about books. I am not going to say “I heart books”, because I personally thing the entire “I heart this and that” concept is a little over done these days, but I definitely support books. Not just books, but reading too. Growing up as a fat kid*, I did not get out much. In fact, my best friend was the library, and I would pump through literature the way a fat kid could plow through a buffet line. (Disclaimers: Since I fully own up to growing up as a corpulent, obese, portly lad, I : A. am allowed to joke about being fat, and B. am fully aware of the voraciousness with which a fat kid can put a buffet owner out of business). My exposure to the world through reading actually inspired me to get out and be more active, turning me into the studly man beast I am today. And my vocabulary was augmented to distinguished levels. (I can use big words and stuff)

2. I hate to see anything wasted. Part of this stems from my dad being the world’s largest packrat. I don’t think he has parked his car in the garage since the late 1990’s. And no, “park his car in the garage” is not some clever euphemism, I literally mean he has too much stuff piled up in there to allow a vehicle to fit. I know, I know, obsessive hoarding is a disease, and I have fought hard to keep some semblance of order in my life; however, I did learn the value of not just trashing things, but to cherish real treasures. As they say, sharing is caring. And caring is good. Just yesterday, I mailed a box of my old Cds to a good friend who I know will appreciate the music. I don’t need them cluttering my life, I listen to nothing but iPod these days. Why didn’t I give him any books you might ask? Obviously, I give all my extra books to Better World Books

3. I love turning chaos into order. It’s a personal obsession, I know. But Tetris is my favorite video game of all time. What we do with books is kind of like Tetris:
We take books in random order and arrange them in such a way that they form straight lines(on our neatly arranged shelves)…and then they disappear! (when you buy them). Ahh, the magic of e-commerce.

I think 3 is enough points for now. I need to look into writing more features for the kids. My friend and colleague Chip has been a great writer on here, and he really wanted me to join him in his quest to bring more and more entertaining content here. Since today is his Birthday, I thought I would help him out. Have a good weekend everyone.

* I linked to the book “Matilda” here because the supporting character Bruce is one of the greatest fat kid characters of all time. I heart Bruce….
(I hope you all caught the joke of how I mocked the “I heart” nomenclature earlier, then blatantly used it here… trust me it is hilarious)

I wonder if I set a record for number of links within a post…

No worries Charlie, no Golden Geese or Oompa-Loompas were harmed in the production of this chocolate surprise. Divine Chocolate comes from the Kuapa Kokoo co-op in Ghana, West Africa. From their site:

Divine indeed. Will you get a golden ticket?

My favorite quotes from emails I received:
“A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father by Augusten Burroughs
I bet I’m the ONLY person who read that one! ”

“Getting to Scale, Curious George, Cat in the Hat”

“Here’s the list of ‘books I read in the past year, despite the fact that only one of them was either published or written in the past year’…”

“Sorry, I’m a loser and mostly only read instruction manuals.”
 

Without further ado…

Honorable Mention: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
 

10. Cradle to Cradle

9. Pearls, Politics and Power

8. Twilight

7. The Road

6. Hot, Flat and Crowded

5. A New Earth

4. Gods Behaving Badly

3. Choke

2. Middlesex

1. Eat Pray Love

It’s not often you take the time to tell someone how important they are to you.  So first things first, we’d like to say thanks for all you do. Literacy has been recognized as a human right for over 50 years, yet 1 in 7 people is still illiterate. Illiteracy is at the heart of poverty, hunger and war from the Congo to California. Six years ago, we were just two recent college grads running a single book drive, and we didn’t think we’d have much impact past the community center in South Bend. Since then you’ve taken us from Sudan to Brazil to Mexico, showing us the incredible power that social entrepreneurs can have in building a more literate world.

Since that first book drive, you have raised over $4.6 million for literacy by making the conscious choice to buy from Better World Books. Each book bought has been another book in the hands of someone like William from Malawi, (see attached picture) who built a windmill in his village solely based on a picture in a donated engineering book! Each book bought is another day that a girl in Vietnam goes to school (see other picture). Who knows what will she be capable of? There are too many more stories to tell and people to thank. 

They say the best part of the holidays is giving, so this is the part where we ask you for a favor. It’s now, in these crazy economic times, we need your support more than ever. Anyone can help when times are good, but it’s these times of adversity when those who are without need us most.  It’s hard to ask any more of you, so we’ll make this part easy with three things you can do to make an even bigger impact for those in need:

1. Watch the new video from Invisible Children to see why it matters where you buy your books.

2. Forward this e-mail to at least 10 friends & family. You’re our marketing department.  Help us spread the word.

3. Buy BetterWorld.com gift certificates as gifts for your loved ones this Christmas. They get to choose from millions of new and used books while funding literacy. It’s the simplest way you can support our movement.

Without you, none of this would be possible. We wish you well these holidays and just wanted you to know that we’re thinking of you. 

Thanks for all you do,

Xavier & Kreece, Founders of Better World Books

All the way to the airport I was about to pass out from nerves. But as soon as I got on the plane (which was very tiny) I felt a little bit better. Then it started to move. It kind of felt like being in a car, so I got more comfortable. It moved around the airport to get lined up for take off, then super shot to like a million miles an hour! (Needless to say, the seat I was sitting in has permanent indentations on the arm rests from my hands). After that the rest of the ride was actually quite fun. I popped in my headphones and turned on some super awesome music and parked my face looking out of the window. The clouds were so pretty so I took a ton of pictures. I’m actually excited to get back on a plane someday. I think that’s why I’ve never really gone anywhere, I pictured a horrible Richard Matheson scene on planes where would be something on the wing trying to take out the propellers. My imagination is one of a 5 year old.
The first day we were there we went to see all of the tourist sites. It was very cool. Everything was really beautiful, you really can’t tell how big something is just by seeing a picture of it. The Lincoln Memorial was HUGE! I felt kind of dumb when I saw it because I was telling everyone that I was going to try to sit on Abe Lincoln’s lap. Yeah, that wasn’t happening. We walked everywhere while we were there so my feet were very sore, but I was happy we did. It was really neat to see all of the buildings, they were so detailed and really cool. They were so eye-catching that I almost fell on my face looking up at them (luckily Kelly was beside me to catch me).

The Green Festival was amazing. It was cool talking to people about Better World Books, and seeing their reactions. It gave me a chance to see BWB through other people’s eyes. Everyone that I talked to was blown away by what we do at BWB. It was also funny how some people that were there already knew about Better World. One person told me that he had been buying his books from us for the past year or so. I also heard someone saying ‘Better World Books? Wasn’t that business created by those Notre Dame kids?’

So, that’s pretty much how my trip went. I also got to meet some really awesome people from the San Francisco and Atlanta offices. Cory, Eddie, Geoff, Christian, and Dana (you guys rock!) My eyes were totally opened to what else is out there besides this little town. And it will definitely not be another 24 years before I travel again.

–Destinie

Most recently, we received a visit from our local public television, WNIT, and their awesome program Outdoor Elements. Host Evie Kirkwood, who also serves as the director of our county park system, brought a film crew to tape a segment for the program which will air in Feburary 2009.

We walked our distribution center for about an hour, exploring all of the ways in which our little company in the corn fields has really embraced its sustainbility focused mission. From waste recycling to our co-op garden to our committment to reuse just about everything that we come in contact with (including our shelving and furniture), there was plenty into which to sink our teeth. I’m actually curious to see what will air during the short, 10-minute segment, given that we must have filmed more than 45 minutes worth! I’ll be sure to update you when the segment is available.

Welcome!

You have the tremendous opportunity to become a member of the BWB team.  Together with a dedicated group of individuals you will have the privledge, of working to accomplish common goals and make a positive impact for literacy in our world.

Every day you will carefully pick and ship books out to eager customers, allowing them to navigate the expanse of the universe, embark on a quest of self-discovery, converse with mythical creatures and broaden the depths of their minds.

Along with this you will be the first face a newly arrived book will see before being placed on our shelves waiting for their loving home.

Standards[...]

Above all, we seek to flabbergast our customers.

While here, you are a protector of dreams.  You are the mightiest of dragons, guarding a vast treasure.  Customers from lands near and far will open one of our packages, filled, by you, and they will be overwhelmed with joy, anticipation, and excitement.

1. We ♥ Books. Respect the book. Read often and help others to do the same.
2. Flabbergast our Customers. Seek out opportunities to make a difference with value, service, and selection.
3. Invest well. Waste not. Choose wisely; consider the return on your efforts and the impact in your actions. Reuse, reuse, reuse… Then reduce and recycle.
4. Lead the movement. Take a stand; share your enthusiasm and build momentum through human connections.
5. Speak through action. Put your ideas to work; play to win but never fear failure.
6. Be passionate. Wear your heart on your sleeve; stand up for what your believe.
7. Pursue growth through learning. Challenge yourself; make a point to try new things.
8. Be genuine. Keep it real; be honest with others and true to your quirktastic self.
9. Embrace change. Adapt to circumstances; help others find ways to succeed in our evolving world.
10. Respect our team. Be humble; welcome diversity and recognize that shared success is the only kind that matters.

To get things started, the Antiquarian, Rare, and Collectible Books Team performed an original composition by cataloguer Carol Devorkin entitled “I Am ARC”…

a story told from the perspective of the many books we are privileged to handle each and every day. I thought that I’d share it with the extended BWB Family and invite you to join us in ♥ing books.

I Am ARC

Come…

Walk my aisles

See what I am.

I was born 100, 200, even 300 years ago.

From lands near, and lands far away.

I came from Paris, London, and Berlin…

I came from the East and the West.

New York, Chicago, San Francisco.

The North and the South,

The Arctic and the tropics.

Craftsmen shaped me

With hand made papers and stitched bindings.

I am robed in cloth and leather.

I may be tattered and torn

But I am true to my word.

Other hands have held me

Touching my every page

Other eyes have read my every word.

Presently, I am here

Waiting for the time to tell my story again.

I have seen crusades and coronations,

And I have known heroes and fools.

Wonder and awe, good, and evil.

I’ve traveled by boat, train, and plane.

A horse took me through the Grand Canyon

Rocket ships took me to the moon and the stars

I’ve roamed the earth where dinosaurs and Neanderthals lives,

And I have theories on evolution, science, and space.

I know where Moses, Jesus, and Buddha walked

And what they said.

I’ve traveled through deserts, sailed the oceans.

Climbed Mount Everest, crossed the mighty Mississippi.

I’ve survived the Great Chicago Fire and the sinking of the Titanic.

I came to America on a slave ship

Lived on a plantation, and had a master.

Or, I was the master.

I fought with Union Blue and Confederate Grey

I was there when Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address

And when he was shot.

I stood at the Alamo.

I watched the Indians walk the Trail of Tears.

I came to Ellis Island

To begin a new life

To escape the Holocaust.

I Rushed for Gold and suffered the Great Depression.

I built the railroad and the Brooklyn Bridge.

I am a letter from the Birmingham jail.

I am Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks.

I went to war-

In Europe, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf.

Call me Pancho Villa, Che Guevara, Teddy Roosevelt.

Call me Mr. President, Madame Curie, or Albert Einstein.

Mozart, Beethoven.

Shelley or Poe.

I am good people, and I am bad,

I have saved lives, taken lives.

You will love me or hate me

But you will know who I am and what I stand for.

I am Mother Nature.

Let me show you my creations.

Bears and lions, puppies and ducks.

Trees, flowers, rocks and soils.

I guide Doctors and lawyers, showing them what I have learned.

I have met people famous and infamous

Been places few have seen.

I build cars and rockets, fuels, and fabrics.

I have documented the past, sometimes accurately, sometimes with jaundice.

I am recording the present, and mapping the future.

Here I am, come see me.

Treat me gently so that I may continue to tell my story

For generations to come.

- Carol Devorkin

Better World Books came to Riverfest to sell books and engage in a great festival, they came to put a creatively designed float in the water, but most of all they came to win.  Like a rookie in battle who is too ignorant to know to fear a war champion, Better World Books was the lowly infantry man to Niles’ Achilles; but unlike the lofty Greek, Niles had no perceivable weakness.  Better World Books would have to simply be the better team.

Murmurs spread around the festival all day of a young upstart team, made up of heart and absolutely no talent whatsoever, a bookish crowd with warehouse tans that would take on the Olympic level competition of the iron-fisted Niles crowd.  Could the tiny Better World Books boat stand against the wrath of the Dragon Boat embodiment of Posiedon himself?

The race started close, jitters clearly affecting Better World Books as the Viking like warriors of Niles stroked even and true.  But slowly something changed.  Cows lay down when it is going to rain–they just feel it in the air and react–so when all of the kids stopped playing and went to watch the river, the prescience of the youth was palpable; victory would be a cruel mistress today.

Only a few meters left, rowing beyond their own abilities, infused with the spirit of Michael Phelps, the scrappy squad of ARC stud, Jorge Fragoso, Howard Roark-esque architect Jaime Knabet, superstar receiver, Javier Castro and hard hitting Maintenance standout David Sherwood were joined by the husband and wife Majerek in an epic throwdown.   Also, Better World Books saw promise in a few Niles folks who were left off the famed squad.  It was those few crew members, the rejects, who had become the proverbial cornerstones of the squad.  With this group they would stand strong, crushing through the ripples of the river and the mighty approach of the heroes of Niles, Michigan.

Better World Books: Ballerific

Life moves on, and as Herodotus said, “You can never step in the same river twice.”  Jordan has retired and Montana is in the booth, and Niles, Michigan is left scratching their heads as to how a small upstart company came in and simultaneously sold books while taking the checkered flag at their own flagship event.  Will they ever recover or are the nouveau riche of the Dragon Boat circuit set to become the next giants of the Mitten State scene?  Only time will tell, but the pantheon of great teams will truly never be the same.

While speaking with clients I am constantly blindsided with questions such as “what goes on at the warehouse, about how many books are stored in your warehouse”, etc… the list goes on! Before my trip to Mishawaka, I would inform clients that (unfortunately) I had never visited the Better World Books warehouse. So the actual process of picking, shipping, and receiving books was a total blur.  However, since I have actually worked hands-on at the warehouse, I am very comfortable with answering questions about how the work is carried out.  Everyone at the warehouse was friendly and very patient with us newbies (a.k.a the Atlanta office). Also, the Trade Show was awesome!  Everyone received the opportunity to share great facts and ideas about each department. After learning this information, I am able to implement this knowledge into my daily Account Rep. responsibilities. When you know better, you do better!

Let me not forget to mention my community service project! I was able to work with the Literacy Council of St. Joseph County shelving books and toys for kids all around.  This organization is dedicated to breaking the cycle of illiteracy amongst adults and children.  Both this organization and Better World Books hold a lot in common, which is why it was so important to volunteer for this organization and demonstrate my appreciation for their hard work by devoting my time to assist them in any way possible.

Since the field trip to the warehouse, I feel more well-rounded as an employee of Better World Books and as an individual. I can’t wait to see you guys again!!  Woohoo!

We wanted to do something that would sum up all the wonderful things we discussed throughout the week and emphasize our spirit of team work, and community involvement.  In an effort to follow our hearts and do something that makes a difference but at the same time challenge us and be enjoyed, we decided to spend the 19th as the first ever company wide BWB Community Outreach Day!

(Casey, head of Pricing, taking “Outreach” a little too seriously)

Locally, our offices in NY, GA, and CA have done things in their respective communities.  We here at the warehouse have also become more involved with the community through green festivals and literacy groups, but we had never done something to this large a scale. We opened up the activities to anyone that wanted to join.  With over 100 employees and 5 different destinations, it was a logistical challenge to say the least.  However, we had the most perfect weather, local school buses to transport us around, and wonderful organizations to join.  It is amazing what you can get done, when everyone pitches in!

Over 100 employees from the warehouse, Georgia, California, New York, Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, and Pennsylvania joined in the fun.

(the first round of 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall)

First Stop:  Habitat for Humanity was finishing up a project close to the warehouse.  They had built a house for a family, and had landscaping, a garage, and interior work to still be done.  28 BWB employees spent the day completing the project and the hammering never stopped!!!

Kreece doing Quality Control on a decidedly non-six sigma job

(Hippie) sod tilling, courtesy of Abby

Everyone putting up a frame, not just an Amish thing!

t

2nd Stop:  Northern Indiana Food Pantry is a distribution center for many of the local food banks.  45 employees from BWB broken out over 3 shifts went to work sorting food, checking dates, and helping Northern Indiana Food Pantry prepare to distribute many pallets of food to locations throughout the area.Competition broke out over the 3 shifts as to which team sorted the most and judges are still out on that decision!

3rd Stop:  Habitat for Humanity ReStores are retail locations where Habitat sells those materials they recycle from their job sites and resell to support all their good work.  12 employees went to work at the local store here in town.  They were put to work setting up displays, moving product and helping to sort and stock.  The “do-it-yourself” types on staff will be making this store one of their stops when completing another project at home…everyone should!  They have some incredible things you won’t be able to find anywhere else.  Look for these stores near you as well:

http://www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore.aspx

4th Stop:  City of Mishawaka local parks are something the city takes pride in and they give us welcomed “green space” that our employees as well as others in the community enjoy.  50 workers were dispatched to weed, lay down mulch and pick up debris in some of our area parks keeping up our commitment to the environment.

5th and final Stop:  Literacy Council of St. Joseph County is one of our favorite local groups.  BWB employees have not only volunteered for their adult tutoring program, but we went to work to help them tackle some outstanding tasks at their office in downtown Mishawaka.  4 staff members went over to help with filing, cleaning out closets, setting up bookshelves and packaging up children’s “giveaway” packets complete with books and learning material.

BWB appreciates all these organizations, their hard work and how they contribute to the community.  We wish to thank them all for letting us join in.  Not only did it give the employees here at BWB a day out of the warehouse and fun times spent with coworkers, we were also able to pitch in and help the community.  There isn’t a better way to spend the day!

Let me be the first to say congrats to BWB and may Roy the Bookmobile live a long and healthy life!

Roy and his new family

So it was on Friday, as people slowly filed out after a spectacular presentation and a group photo that is sure to have some fine lookin’ individuals in it with our  new Better World Books shirts.  One by one cars filtered off to Midway (gotta love Southwest Airlines!  Also, loving Midway, the expert traveler line was fantastic and the sandwich shop hits the spot) and I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say sleep was had and relief was enjoyed.

As usual, these events can’t come soon enough and there are so many updates I’m scouring my notebook trying to keep you posted, that’s going to have to come in another email, blowing up with awesome.

“It’s business, it’s business tiiiime.”  OK, so we didn’t have Flight of the Conchords, but what we did have was some ideas that are going to blow your doors off, no question.  We’ve got great new moves happening with new ways to get books and new ways to get money for our partners.  Further we’ll be working on more ways to maximize your savings, getting you better books, cheaper.  More updates on those things as we roll them out (OK, I’ll tell you before anyone else, but sssshhhhh)

Yesterday we spent tons of time in department meetings and then had updates between departments and to suggest that people are excited really doesn’t scratch the surface.  However, fatigue after a week of meetings was setting in, so last night we had to unwind.  After checking out a new surprise (can’t tell you yet, I want to so bad but I can’t!) we rocked karaoke including a rousing “Under the Bridge” from founder Xavier, a dominant (and prize winning) performance from Brad, and most notably instead of “The Online Bookstore with a Soul” the Atlanta office made sure we were “The Online Bookstore with Soul.”  Perfect.  After I rocked a Jay-Z track (I’ve got 99 problems but a blog ain’t one…) we were off.

Today we had a day of service that was simply awesome.  I’ll let Rudy write about it and show you his photo taking prowess later in the week…

To see a well-oiled machine do its job is truly a marvel.  It sounds cliche, perhaps it sounds like a vacuous statement when were so inundated with machinery and technology in our own lives from iPhones to disposals to a little hot water in the shower, but the fact remains that there’s something about a fine tuned apparatus that catches the eye and the imagination.

The Green House presented two great versions of this to me today.  On one hand, I saw the packaging machine, which is pretty mesmerizing.  It takes thousands of orders each day and cranks them out under the careful supervision of a number of finely trained employees.  It’s definitely a unique sight (that I’ve included below for your enjoyment).

But more amazing is how we’ve created a system incorporating ideas from Toyota’s and Motorola’s plants referred to in the business world as “Six Sigma.”  I won’t get into the specifics but I have to say watching the whole warehouse work is amazing.  Hundreds of people working as the proverbial bees in the hive–and let me tell you the Green House buzzes–each with individual tasks all working together to get you your books, as fas as possible, as cheap as we can and in the best condition that we can offer.

West Coast Director, Natasha Harris, looking regal as per usual

This flyer was sent to all 500+ delegates attending the “Sullivan Summit” in Arusha, Tanzania.  Note that Better World Books, through the Better World Books Fund within Books For Africa, is sponsoring the shipment and that the books will be distributed by the Poverty Eradication Network (PEN) in Tanzania. Natasha Harris, Niko Tomlinson, Mary Murphy, Jaime Knabet, Dustin Holland and myself visited the PEN folks in the summer of 2006 and have continued to stay in touch with them (Mungwe and Andrea).  They do fantastic work (based in Dodoma, the national capital of Tanzania) throughout the country.

To find out more about the Sullivan Summit VIII, go to www.thesullivanfoundation.org/summit/.

Make sure to read the March 21st article in the New York Times written by David Brooks, entitled “Thoroughly Modern Do-Gooders”.  This is an excellent article on Social Entrepreneurship and there are many points from the article that connect directly with what we have built here at Better World Books.

Maura Varian, Acquisitions Support Manager, hatched a brilliant plan earlier this year. One day, she thought, “Hey, we collect books. We sell books. And, most of us even read books. So, why don’t we help people learn to do what we love most?” And, today, that plan is a step closer to fruition.

As of last week, 11 Better World Books employees have graduated from our local literacy council’s tutor training program. The employee-tutors will be utilizing the company’s new volunteerism benefit for this program. In essence, they’ll be compensated for their time as if they were working away in our distribution center. For Better World Books, providing direct service — be it tutoring, painting houses, or playing with children with disabilities — is just as valuable as receiving, scanning, and shipping books. In the end, it’s all about creating a Better World.

And, Maura’s not done there. In an article which was released today by the South Bend Tribune, she is ready to take her dream of local literacy even further, saying I’d “like to see the partnership grow to eventually allow the company’s own employees who have issues with literacy to get the help they need from the Literacy Council while they’re on the job.”

Thanks, Maura, we’re right there with you!

For the full article, click here.

Yup.

If you’re looking for an objective review of our first book: Jazzocracy, head over to All About Jazz.  Also, in addition to our normal level of giving, proceeds from this book will help benefit the New Orleans Public Library rebuild and Music for Tomorrow!

An excerpt from the review:

How Will Two of American’s Quintessential Icons Foretell the Future?

Presenting Jazzocracy: Jazz, Democracy, and the Creation of a New American Mythology by Kabir Sehgal (Better World Books)

If one wonders how two of the most quintessential American icons relate to each another, consider this thought by one of New Orleans’ favorite sons: “Jazz is democracy in action,” said Wynton Marsalis.

Ever more so in New Orleans, where the birth of jazz reflected the ease of a mix of many cultures: Caribbean, European, African, among many others. The intent of these cultures to express their ideas to one another via music, civic discourse, festivals, and of course, books, is one of America’s most vivid successes.

With its commitment to the promoting literacy worldwide, Better World Books is pleased to return to the New Orleans Public Library for the premiere of the very first book of its new publishing imprint.

On April 17, Better World Books will bring Jazzocracy: Jazz, Democracy, and the Creation of a New American Mythology to New Orleans. Written by Kabir Sehgal, an exciting new author who began the book under study with Douglas Brinkley at Tulane University, Jazzocracy argues the evolution of jazz and democracy is forming our next set of mythologies to govern culture, politics and economics.

For any other writer under the age of 30, these might be dusty topics. But new author Kabir Sehgal magnetizes the two using his personal experience as a jazz musician, political campaign consultant, economist and writer. A graduate of the London School of Economics and Dartmouth College, Sehgal is also a professional jazz bassist, and has played with the Wynton Marsalis Orchestra. He has also worked with the presidential campaign of Sen John Kerry, as well as in the offices of Senators Max Cleland and John Rockefeller, IV. He is an economist with JPMorgan in San Francisco. Jazzocracy is his first book.

[CONTINUE...]

Anne Gongwer is one such woman.  As a teacher-turned-missionary, she started the Ankaase Literacy Program in Ankasse, Ghana. Under her leadership, the program has taught over 80 adults and children to read in their native tongue.  She has continued to expand the young program, recently completing the Reading Town Community Library which will provide for the education of future generations of Ghanaian children.

Anne is originally from Mishawaka and had heard about us through an acquaintance.  I met with her and asked what Better World Books could do to help.  At the time, she was near finishing her library and really needed books.  We were more than happy to oblige.

Unfortunately I couldn’t meet with them when she and her husband came in to select them. I had a meeting with another potential partner (more on that in the coming months) so I asked my colleague, Jon Metzger, to assist them.  Jon spent his early years in Sierra Leone, where his dad was a surgeon.  It turns out that Anne’s husband, Cameron, remembered meeting Jon and his dad over 18 years ago in Sierra Leone.  I guess the Sherman Brothers were right.

The Gongwers were able to take 4 boxes of books with them on their way back to Ghana.  We hope to be able to get them more books in the future!

BETTER WORLD BOOKS BECOMES A FOUNDING B CORPORATION

Online bookseller promotes literacy worldwide while benefiting its partners, employees and the environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 6, 2007

Berwyn, PA — B Lab today announced it has certified online bookseller Better World Books, a leading online seller of new and used books, as a Founding B Corporation™. With the certification, Better World Books joins a growing international network of purpose-driven businesses dedicated to setting a new standard for social and environmental performance, creating benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

To become certified B Corporations, businesses must meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards and amend their corporate governing documents to incorporate the interests of employees, community and the environment.

“Being a successful business and having a social impact are not mutually exclusive,” said Better World Books President and CEO David Murphy. “Through our retail website, BetterWorld.com, customers can find the books they want, enjoy free, carbon-neutral shipping, and help fund literacy with each purchase.”

Based in Mishawaka, Indiana, Better World Books was established in 2003 by three Notre Dame graduates with a simple, yet transformative idea – run a book donation drive, collect as many titles as possible, then sell those books to fund a reading program at a local community center. Entrepreneurs at heart, Better World Books’ founders quickly grew their idea into an online retail presence which integrates social impact into the core of its business model.

By sourcing and reselling used books in a way no major book seller had ever before tried, Better World tapped into a burgeoning new consumer market with a desire and passion for social responsibility. In just four years, Better World Books has raised more than $2.3 million dollars for global literacy programs, while growing quickly from 3 to 130 employees.

“Better World Books is a unique Social Enterprise—a triple bottom line business where creating a nursing library in Somaliland, supporting employees with profit sharing and equity ownership opportunities, and shipping book orders climate neutral are not simply by-products of doing business—it is the business,” said Murphy.

BetterWorld.com carries over two million new and used titles. The company acquires its inventory of used books from two primary sources: a Campus Collection Program organizes regular books drives for world literacy at more than 1200 colleges and universities; and a Library Discards and Donations Program provides more than 800 local libraries a needed outlet for redistributing donated books they can no longer keep or shelve.

“Better World Books is strong and growing business that beats the competition on price and values,” said B Lab co-founder Bart Houlahan. “Not only does Better World Books help customers save money, they also put their money where their heart is by funding vitally important literacy programs around the world.”

Through its partnerships with well established and widely respected organizations working on four continents: Room to Read, Books for Africa, Worldfund, and the National Center for Family Literacy, Better World Books capitalizes on the intrinsic value of books to support literacy initiatives. Support is not limited to dollars, however. Better World Books also works with its partners to ship books to classrooms and libraries where they are needed most. In collaboration with Books for Africa, for instance, Better World Books has delivered more than 550,000 textbooks to resource-starved colleges and universities throughout the African continent.

B Lab helps companies like Better World Books set the new corporate standard for social and environmental performance. Since its founding in 1972, B Lab has certified over thirty companies with a collective market presence of $380 million, all leaders within the green, local living economies, employee-ownership, fair trade, organic, and sustainable business movements and from the food, apparel, home, financial services, building, action sports, technology, business services, telecom, restaurant, marketing, and retail industries.

About B Lab B Lab, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, supports B Corporations by: certifying B Corporations who achieve a minimum score on the B Ratings System; disseminating a legal framework to institutionalize stakeholder interests within existing corporate law; promoting B Corporations through a unifying brand; and helping B Corporations access mission-aligned capital markets.

Founding B Corporations to date, with a collective market presence of about $350 million, include: A-1 Builders, Blueprint Research & Design, Inc., BBMG, Benchmark Asset Management, BeOn, Better World Telecom, Better World Books, Blueprint Research & Design, Comet Skateboards, Culinary Collective, egg, Give Something Back, Good Capital, Green Harvest Technologies, Indigenous Designs, King Arthur Flour, Lateral Line Fishing Gear and Apparel, Learning & Vision Partners, Mal Warwick Associates, Matiz Espana, Method Products, Inc., Moka Joe Coffee, New Leaf Paper, Pura Vida Coffee, Seventh Generation, Uncommon Goods, Untours, Village Books, White Dog Caf

Thanks to those who have expressed their concern!

Thanks, warehouse, for all the hard work in getting these out!

I am excited to share with you some news regarding Better World Books’ support of “Green for All”.   See this from Brad Weirich, Employee Development Manager, who will be involved with this effort going forward (representing Better World Books):

Green for All, a new campaign focused on bringing “green collar” jobs to urban areas, launched on Friday, September 26th, at the Clinton Global Initiative.  The group, created by Van Jones, Co-Founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, seeks to capitalize on the exploding green economy while ensuring that the coming green economic wave impacts on more than one level.

The Green for All campaign is a bold effort to harness the growing power of the green economic revolution to fight the war on poverty.  By securing job training for 250,000 workers from urban communities for the emerging green job market, the program will provide new avenues of opportunity for those who have traditionally been left behind by the nation’s economic growth.

Green for All was launched with the support of over 200 businesses and organizations, including Better World Books.

If you would like to see the full press release, please go here

Employing knowledgeable bibliographers who specialize in the identification of these unique items, including the research of provenance and publication details, the ARC team is prepared to deal with a wide-variety of books and other media which, in the past, were not saleable though traditional online channels.  Dedicated cataloguers provide careful and detailed descriptions and establish competitive price points based upon the current antiquarian market.

Though much of the ARC inventory consists of items with out ISBNs, we are no longer limited to just these items, and are actively seeking, for example: institutional collection deacessions, including special, rare, faculty, or subject-specific collections; complete, current reference sets; as well as many items and media which may not immediately be ostensibly of valuable (please see the ARC FAQ’s for further details).

This is an exciting time for the ARC. We’ve just attended the Antiquarian Book Seminars in Colorado Springs. And, we’re in the process of relocating the ARC operation to a more secure, stable and protected environment within the warehouse. Future plans include the addition of a preservation specialist, additional auction and sales venues, the issue of a catalogue, and more.

Please let us know how the ARC section at BetterWorld.com can assist you in the development of your collection (ARC-at-betterworldbooks-dot-com). For more information, click here. We look forward to serving your antiquarian, rare, and collectable book needs.

The Seminar, begun in 1978, featured experts from every aspect of the booktrade, from internet selling to accounting, from bookmaking and preservation to shipping, and from database management to bibliography and cataloguing. In addition to Rulon-Miller, the faculty included Prof. Terry Belanger, Honorary Curator of Special Collections and Director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia and Daniel De Simone, Curator of the Lessing Collection at the Library of Congress.

Highlights of the week included Old Books and New Technology: The View from Here, the keynote presentation by former labour under-secretary Marty Manley, Chairman and CEO of Alibris. Manley’s presentation focused the week around the promise of books in general for society and the place of booksellers in the social and economic landscape. Also, an interesting workshop on book preservation and conservation was led by Angela Scott of Fine Binding & Custom Design in the District of Columbia . Scott had numerous exempla of raw materials for book making and demonstrated the techniques for binding and covering books.

Future professional development opportunities for ARC include an upcoming visit to the University of Notre Dame Libraries ’ Special Collections Department, Rare Book Room, and Reyniers Preservation Facility.

For more information on Better World’s ARC Department, please contact us at ARC@BetterWorldBooks.com or see our ARC FAQs.

We recently joined the National Recycling Coalition as part of our continued effort to be green.  We attended the 2007 Indiana Recycling Coalition state affiliate conference in Bloomington IN and it was great meeting so many other people as passionate about re-using and recycling as we are.

One of the organizations we met publishes newsletters for county recyclers.  Trash Talk loved the Better World Books story and published an article about us that reached 1.5 million people!

A few weeks ago, Luanne Zurlo, the Executive Director of our Latin American literacy partner Worldfund, visited our Mishawaka, IN warehouse (she mentions her visit in Worldfund’s latest newsletter). The timing was great since all of the Regional Directors were in town for our annual meeting (we all work from our regions around the country).

Luanne gave a presentation about the issues of education in Latin America to all of the BWB staff – the Worldfund site also has some solid resources on the Latin American education gap.