Give, take mass quantities of books at this weekend's swap

Honesdale. Bring as many books as you want, and take as many books as you want at the SEEDS (Sustainable Energy and Education Development Support) and NaturED annual free book swap, to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Wayne County Park Street Complex, 648 Park St., in Honesdale (near Wayne Memorial Hospital).

Book donations can be dropped off at the complex on on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 9, from 8 to 9 a.m. Label the quantity on each box.

Leftover books are boxed and shipped to Better World Books to promote global literacy efforts, or recycled at the county center.

The swap is a collaborative effort among local governments, area businesses, nonprofits, and individuals to provide a sustainable way to repurpose mass quantities of books. Since 2012, the swap has handled more than 70,000 books. It highlights America Recycles Day in Wayne County. More than 20,000 books were donated in 2018.

Spearheaded by Jenna Wayne Mauder, SEEDS board member and founder of NaturED, the swap received a 2019 Environmental Award presented by the Northeast Pennsylvania Environmental Partners, which includes the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, PPL Corporation, Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, and Wilkes University. The award recognizes the book swap for exemplifying how partnerships work together to get big jobs completed for the benefit of the environment and our community.

The lead sponsor is the Wayne County Bar Association. Other supporters include Brookfield, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, Frey-Fetsock Funeral Home, Farm Arts Collective, Honesdale National Bank, The Cooperage Project, Platform Industries, Charles and Karen Lutz, Melissa Bell and Jeanne Genzlinger.

For more information visit seedsgroup.net.