About 5 years ago our English Department was given or was ordered about $50,000 worth of BRAND NEW, never been touched, never been opened books.
I remember getting to unbox all of them and I promise you it was like stalking your own mini library. There were novels, graphic novels, fiction, nonfiction, biography, science, classics and everything in between with at least five copies of each one.
Then covid happened, and then we were switched to a completely online curriculum. Now not only do those books exist in a Dusty old store room, every book that has ever been in the English Department is now shut away in that room.
Since I began my teaching Life as a reading teacher and still consider myself one because that is my preferred subject, I have fought to keep a bit of a library of my own. Even though a lot of stuff gets stolen and even though I have almost no money for such things. So today I thought maybe I would go into the store room because I was looking for a particular book and try to retrieve some books for my library. There were even historical, social studies type books that would have definitely benefited my class. I got about three books out before it was time for me to go to class because they're all just thrown in there. They are not arranged by subject nor author nor anything else they are just in piles.
When I went back to try to find some more I was locked out.
So I guess someone saw me on camera transferring three books from the book graveyard where no one will ever see them and they will never see the light of day again to my library.
Now I'm not saying my kids read because they don't. My kids have not read since covid. They don't want to read and you cannot make them read.
But I would much rather have them available so that they can be seen and flip through, even if they might not be read for years to come. I prefer that to the graveyard of books that is locked away where no one can see and touch them. We're probably $100,000 worth of books sit there and disintegrate.
