I have been making inquiries on shipping books to Goa/India for many years. It is not easy. The problem was (it may have changed recently) the Indian customs and India's strict regulations.
As a student in 1960's some of us helped a South Indian Jesuit and a Professor pack scores of boxes with books donated by the libraries and shipped to colleges and schools in Kerala. Asia Foundation delivered it free and it still does this service to many countries, except India. They do not want to deal with the government roadblocks. About four years ago I talked to the Librarian at the Goa University if the University would be willing to take technical books if offered and he willingly accepted and even to pay the shipping costs, deal with the customs, etc. So I packed about 15 boxes, totaling 15 cu.ft. (over 200 books). An agent in Goa made all the necessary contacts, but later I was surprised to learn that the budget was cut and the University could not pay for it. The shipping cost was not much. It reached Bombay in about six weeks but languished at the customs for three months! If someone can get the attention of your representative(s) in Parliament and change the present restrictive policies, many libraries will be the beneficiaries. Themistocles on 05/14/2005 2:37 AM, Cecil Pinto at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Cornel wrote: > Akin to this, another possibility is to ship 'discarded' library books to > institutions in Goa. Such discarded books are invariably not that old at > all. They are simply discarded to make space for newer stocks. Clearly, > there is the cost of sending them across to different destinations where > they may be wanted but one embassy in London that I know has collected and > shipped books from UK academics and their institutional libraries for use in > home institutions in the Caribbean rather than see some excellent books > pulped. > > --------- > > Dear Cornel, > > I too have heard of perfectly good condition Public Library books in the > USA used as landfill to make way for new stocks on the shelves. What a > crying shame. If some initiative is made towards shipping good condition > books to Goa I would like to be part of it. For starters I can assure you > of a safe well-maintained place for, and public access to, at least 2000 > books at the Aldona Institute library which has some empty bookshelves and > a paid library-in-charge. Also I am sure local schools will willingly > accept and make good use of such books. > > Cecil > > ====== > >
