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Judging A Book By Its Cover

 I'm volunteering at one of my neighborhood churches for their annual used book sale. The proceeds from this effort a directed to feed the hungry. My job is to sort books into some rather broad categories. 

We separate fiction from nonfiction in two piles, hardcover and softcover. 

There is a special designation for Religious/Philosophy/Self Help, Children's, Blank, and the junk drawer of book sorting, Poetry, Plays, and Music. (This category includes mostly picture books of almost any subject, travel books that describe destinations of interest, not hotels and restaurant guides, and humor books

There is a category that is custom sorted by a specialist called Reference. This pile contains dictionaries, thesaurus, grammar, and quotations.

We sorters have the discretion to discard books into a recycle box. Books are deemed unsaleable because they are damaged, old, out of date, or foreign language. Frequently discarded books in good condition are computer or computer program software manuals. No need for a copy of PhotoShop For Dummies that is five years old. Hardcovers with broken spines and yellowed copies of the Fairy Tales of the Arabian Nights, Anne of Green Gable, etc., fail the test.

Most popular category? Remember, a lot of the people who donate books are church members. Also, many of us are trying to lose weight or seeking a way to prepare Kale so it tastes good. Probably the most popular is a tie between Religion/Philosophy/Self Help and Cook Books. Then it would be Fiction.

I had one of my theories shattered. I thought people bought hardcover fiction so they could collect them. So as I sorted hardcover copies of everything Hanning Mankell wrote, an extensive collection of Janet Evanovich, and others, I realized that I was wrong. My colleagues reasoned that these folks just couldn't wait for the less expensive softcover editions.

People who sort books always have an assistant nearby to take the sorted books to the pricing tables for each category and bring unsorted books. My usual assistant is a young woman (14 yrs old) whose name is Heaven. So properly named, she is strong, bright, and cheerful. This young lady is worth showing up for work just for her company.

The only real problem with this endeavor is book lust. If I bought a copy of every book I was tempted to buy as I sorted them, I'd have to move into a bigger apartment. So far, I've limited it to three. I large coffee style volume about the Impressionist painters, a softcover copy of Wit a play, and a vintage copy of The Wind In The Willows for one of my granddaughters

I've always loved books. When I went to grade school at The Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, I could walk down to 10th street, where the Main Library was located, and check out books. I think I've mentioned before I own a copy of the first chapter book I remember reading, The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. I also have a copy of the first serious instruction book on photography I read in the sixth grade. I got a roll film camera as a gift from my parents. 

There are other books in my collection, but at this point, my concern for them is whom I'm going to will them to when I'm gone.


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