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Hola Amigos bibliotecas, just general FYI, we're starting a kinda fun experimental approach to the issue of selling donated and withdrawn books in support of Bastrop PL Friends. Though we have no bloomin' idea what we're doing (I know zip about commercial enterprise) the basic idea seems simple enough to be worth exploring. Here's the deal: Bastrop, like so many smaller towns, has an older downtown area grown moribund after being bypassed by highway commerce. Boarded-up windows and the rest we all know too well. Just to see if we can do a little something about this, the longtime president of the School board and of the related educational foundation (a local realtor and astoundingly nice lady) has donated use of a prime shop location in downtown. I'm doing some light rehab, installing book shelves I bought when Temple moved from the old library to the new, etc. The goal is to add "retail" exposure to supplement the small shop area in the coming new Bastrop library. Hope is to get more people buying donated books and also increase community awareness/familiarity re: our library. Also would like to start some e-commerce classes for community members and to try selling books via eBay or whatever (again, not my area of expertise). Gonna put in highspeed wireless Internet (finally, an area I do know about). The whole project is set up as a nonprofit operation; clerks may be seniors paid a stipend by the Catholic Charities Senior Employment program. We'll be offering more than books, also putting in donated and consigned antiques. Any guidance or ideas welcomed. This is a total Children's Crusade of clueless do-gooders trying something new while we await a change in public policy that recognizes and supports the vital growing role of public libraries in community life. (Did I hear someone mutter that we may be waiting a pretty long time?) If this works, you'll be hearing more. If it doesn't, you probably won't. :) And seriously, all suggestions are appreciated. gene Gene Crick, executive director TeleCommunity Resource Center Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network FCC: Consumer Advisory Committee; Chairman, Rural/Underserved Populations Working Group [EMAIL PROTECTED] 512-919-7590
