The Book Project
By Michelle Mead

The Book Project began about a year ago. Many books which had been donated to the Rummage Sales were left over; books were stashed on shelves and on tables in the Undercroft of Good Shepherd to accommodate them.

As a former book seller and librarian, it occurred to me that putting the books into logical categories would make it much easier for people to find their way around. The bulk of this work was done during two entire Saturdays, many months ago. Since then, there has been a steady supply of books coming in – often on a weekly basis – and a number of books have been purchased. Good Shepherd is gaining a reputation for being a source of good, inexpensive second-hand books.

Prices run from standard paperbacks ($0.75) all the way to almost new bestsellers in mint condition ($2.50). While sorting and classifying is still going on, the following categories are already up and running: Biography and Autobiography, Law, Computers, Careers, Gay and Lesbian Issues, Women’s Studies, Health & Diet, Cooking, Religion (well, you would expect this, wouldn’t you?), as well as a wide array of fiction in both hard and soft cover. Many more areas are planned for the future.

The Book Project is a work in progress, and suffers from an overabundance of riches. We have too little space, too few bookcases, and too many books. Still, it is an enviable excess, and one that is treatable. We have already received offers of money for bookcases, and plans are being made to see if the books will remain in their present location.

I encourage people to stop by and lose themselves in a good book – or better still, several! The Book Project operates during the two Rummage Sales, and during the rest of the year, every Sunday after the 11:00am service. As Jorge Luis Borges said: “I have always imagined that paradise would be a kind of library.” So, visit the Good Shepherd Book Project for a little taste of heaven on earth!