Do you know how many books are thrown away after the Romantic Times Convention and RWA National Conference? You might not. It’s a subject that has been a concern to me ever since the 2005 Nationals in Reno.
Reno was my first ever conference. I was a recently-sold author (Bad Boys Ahoy! was still 7 months away from release) and a year-old member of RWA. Everything about the experience was new to me. When I was handed my conference bag and discovered a large variety of books inside, I was thrilled, even though some books were ones I had no desire to read.
Over the course of the conference I was given books all over the place. Every luncheon provided 2 new books on my seat and then there were the publisher signings where I collected 2-3 books that were autographed to me by authors I admire.
By the end of the week I had a large number of books and I was looking at a sizable shipping bill for them. I made two piles — one for the books I picked up by choice and one for the books given to me that I didn’t have any interest in.
My roommate was Canadian and faced the same problem; only shipping for her was astronomical and included hefty taxes when she accepted her self-addressed boxes at home. In the end, a quick query around the conference presented a solution — leave the unwanted books in the hotel room as an additional tip for the maids. I also saw piles of discarded books in the bathroom lounges and on the water tables. I commented on them, but no one knew what happened to them and I just assumed someone was collecting them. I was right, but not in the way I’d hoped.
The “tip” idea was suggested by several people and seemed to be a widely accepted practice. I was therefore hugely surprised and horrified to learn that the hotel staff did not view these “tips” as a blessing but a curse. Two dumpsters full of books were seen heading out to the trash after conference ended. One attendee saw a maid toss the books in the trash bag hooked to her cart and asked her why she was throwing them out. The woman wasn’t fluent enough in English to enjoy them and knew no one who was. Besides, after 20+ rooms with multiple books left in each, they were just a nuisance.
At the time I was a chapter president. When I heard of the hundreds of books that had been thrown away, I hopped on the RWA presidential Yahoo loop and said we needed to do something. It made me sick to think of those lovely new books rotting in a landfill. Sure some of those books were ones I didn’t want to read, but someone would appreciate them. I suggested donating to the local public library system or a shelter. During that discussion other presidents stated that this had been a problem at Conference for some time and their individual chapters had set up “book swaps” where members could try to exchange an unwanted book for a wanted one. However, most presidents expressed the same surprised horror I did — they had no idea this was happening.
We were told that this issue would be addressed to the Board of Directors and that a solution would be implemented in the future. Since then I’ve been to Atlanta and Dallas, and neither conference program had anything set up to address the problem of unwanted books. In Dallas, I did speak with a gal who said her chapter was accepting unwanted books to donate to charity, but she didn’t know where to take the books and it was a word-of-mouth movement that didn’t reach the ears of many attendees. The author I shared a cab ride with to the airport told me she’d left her books in the room as a tip. My roommate also left books when she checked out. I took them down to the lobby and gave them away.
This problem also applies to the Romantic Times Convention. I’ve discussed it with a bookseller whose store I frequent for signings and she told me that one year she hauled a large trailer to RT and pulled up behind the hotel. She filled it with unwanted books and still had to leave hundreds behind. (This is not related to Allison’s fabulous post addressing thievery. This bookseller accepted books from the hotel after the convention was over.) Did she sell them? I’m sure she did, but would the landfill have been a better home for them?
Last year in Atlanta, a NYT bestselling author was franticly trying to find a home for a flat of books donated by her publisher that arrived too late. (We were checking out of the hotel at the time.) The publisher said they’d just have to leave them there and the hotel was prepared to throw them away (and said so outright). I suggested she contact a local library to see if they could use some, but the author was rushing to catch her plane. She asked the hotel staff to make the call for her and they agreed, but did they make the call? Did the books reach readers? Somehow, I doubt it.
So after two years of appealing to RWA and everyone who will listen, I’m telling you here on RTB — hundreds of unwanted books are being trashed at the end of the conferences/conventions we attend. It breaks my heart. The “grassroots” movements I’ve seen to handle this problem are inadequate and unknown to the majority of conference/convention attendees.
Bottom line: If you’re leaving your unwanted books on the hotel nightstand as a tip, you might as well just drop them in the trash can and save the maid the step.
But surely there’s a better way?
No related posts.
Re: Bins being picked over.
I agree. Put them near areas where there are already volunteers and/or put lids on the trash can sized bins–similar to what is done for recycling. Drop a book in, but no sorting through for favorites. Although, I actually LIKE the idea of swapping with others or getting books out of the bin if I drive or what-not or need books for a chapter event, that would probably be too hard to police. The main point is to keep books from being tossed or wasted. Bins near volunteers and with lids would a simple, easy to police solution. Does anyone know who the head of the San Francisco Conference committee is so we could email her?
Oh and put a big NOTICE about the bins in each conference packet and in conference materials to educate the “book tippers.”
I’m in the military and let me tell you…we LOVE the books that get sent to us. It doesn’t matter what we read. 4-12 months in one small compound doing the same thing every single day and missing home…an escape is important. Last deployment I was teaching men macrame…yes, I know…but I didn’t have cross stitch or carving tools. So we made macrame bracelets and other crazy things.
Also…a very good thing…have you considered sending them to local children’s hospitals…especially cancer research centers. My Mom sat in the hospital with my brother for almost three years straight. The children have play rooms but the parents don’t have much to keep them occupied on long waits.
Just an idea.
Jessica
I think that logistically, something can be worked out on this. I never leave books behind because there’s always someone I can give it to. But it costs me a fortune to ship (or, like in Atlanta, when my mom and I thought we could get them all on the plane . . . )
The SF chapter has already been talking about this. With the assistance of both the hotel and RWA, we can make this work and start the “No Book Left Behind” program
— between SF, the Silicon Valley Chapter and my home chapter Sacramento, we can get all those books in the hands of readers. Oh! And Sacramento has an annual readers luncheon. I know we’d love books to give away to readers. Hmmm, putting my thinking cap on . . .
BTW, after Dallas, I can’t see having the books dropped off in unmanned bins. Someone will make off with the bin. I’d suggest a room (like the goody room Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning as someone suggested) which is open for a window of time, then locked.
Last year as chapter President of LARA (Los Angeles) I shipped home three large boxes of books. One I donated to the Palm Springs library system. Then I held the other two until our Spring 2007 workshop and these wonderful books filled our goodie bags.
There is always shipping set up in the hotel, so it’s not a hard thing to do. I think it cost around $50 for each box and each box contained around fifty books. A bargain! *grin* At our workshop it was suggested that if you had read the books in your bag you should feel free to do a swap. It worked well.
Also, I have stayed back after the Literacy signing and helped to pack up the remaining books. These are distributed to the library systems in the conference city. You wouldn’t believe the volume, my back was almost broken after doing two hours of hard labor. *whine whine* So, the library system in that city wouldn’t be able to take on more books.
In truth, I think the excess books need to be sent home by chapter President’s. If there was a room set up for this and information given on the link it would work. Get those books out of the conference city and put to good use elsewhere. For a small fee from the chapter you bring a lot of pleasure to a ton of people.
Here in the UK we have an annual conference for the Romantic Novelists Association. On the last morning there is a BOOK SWAP area where delegates can place their unwanted free books and swap them for others/leave them for the organisers to donate.
Benefits?
*The location is clearly stated in the conference agenda in advance, and tables are set up - not bins, we respect books
*you pick up more books in the genre you love
* no need for last minute dumping of books in rooms etc
Downsides?
* I ALWAYS come away with more books than I left for swap and they are books which I love and will enjoy which I would otherwise have to purchase
* the conference organising team need to be upfront with what they are going to do with any left over at the end of the day. In my experience, not many.
May I recommend this approach. It works for us.
OH! That’s awful. I don’t know that I ever thought about it before–I hate that they were all wasted!
I can’t help but wonder that maybe we (being RWA as a whole) can have a “drop box” for unwanted books at the conference and arrange for a library or community center in the locale to come a get them when the conference is over . . .
Contacting service orgs in the area like Rotary, MOMS CLub, any military clubs, ever Goodwill would be a great idea. If any one or 2 of them decided on a great way of distributing them (or even auctioning them for their non-profit uses) it would be a blessing to them as well as the environment. If all else fails…..the convention should contact a local recycling program for any excess.
If there are Military hospitals or Hospice programs also……
Heather