Hi Easterangel,

1.  Hope you'll consider this question.  If you are too busy, then
let me know and I'll repost for all researchers at large.

2.  First, some background.  Many years ago, I bought a VHS videotape
for $5.  Title was "Cooking with Chocolate."  This was very dumb since
I don't cook and I don't eat chocolate.  But it was so cheap I couldn't
resist!  heh  heh  heh

3.  Instead of throwing away the tape, I donated it to the Spokane
Public Library.  This was back in the pre-computer days when each
item checked out received an ink stamp in the back showing the return
date.

4.  Each time I returned to the library, I would check "my" video. 
Over the years, over 140 people had checked out the video.  I was
truly amazed.  So much usefulness from something which I almost threw
away.

5.  Soooooo...I now want to donate some expensive Bibles to libraries
in various locales.  My goal is both altruistic and selfish.  (Selfish
because I want to recapture the pleasure I felt way back
then---realizing my VHS video
was checked out regularly by folks I would never meet.)

6.  I see two problems with my plan:
  
(a)  Many libraries now solicit book donations so the donations can be
sold.   (Thus, donations are never actually placed on the library shelves.)

(b)  Computerization seems to have done away with the old-fashioned
ink stamp.  This may now make it impossible for me to determine if the
Bibles have been checked out by 5 people...or 500 people.  I would
really like to know whether patrons are checking them out or not.


7.  Easterangel, in a sense this is an "easy" question.  I just need some
ideas.  Your 5-star answer could be as short as one paragraph or as long
as 4 paragraphs.  I'm not looking for hard data----just ideas as to
how I might achieve my twin goals (altruistic + selfish).


All comments greatly appreciated!

Thanks.
ron

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Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 27 May 2006 22:53 PDT

Hi nronronronro-ga!

I will try and think of suggestions. I'll keep you posted.

Easterangel

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Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 28 May 2006 16:05 PDT

Hi there again!

I cannot think of a solution right now. I am opening this question to
other researchers so that it maybe answered quickly.

Thank you.

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Clarification of Question by nronronronro-ga on 28 May 2006 17:40 PDT

Thanks, Easterangel.  I appreciate your generosity!

ron

I liked the video story

However you might have problems with the Bibles
- if they want one, most people will have one
  you have to make a pretty positive decision /not/ to have a Bible in the house

- sadly, expensive ones are more likely to be nicked than borrowed
  (for resale value rather than reading)

You could do something with a cryptic web address in the front cover,
and just watch people viewing the site.

There was (or is) this bunch that leave good books on park benches etc
with a note inside saying 'I enjoyed this, and hope you will'

Partly I'm posting this to leave a bookmark, in order to see what EA comes up with.

Ron,

I think your expensive bibles are more likely to be placed in
reference collections if they're not sold for fundraising. If you want
to make sure that they will be read, you might enjoy donating them to
an organization like the Graduate Theological Union.

http://www.gtu.edu/page.php?nav=11
The GTU at a Glance

The Graduate Theological Union has been in the frontline of religious
collaboration since 1962. Acclaimed as "the consortium that really
works," the GTU's success is represented in the uniqueness of its
program initiatives and the vitality of its environment where students
and faculty from different religious backgrounds learn and work
together.

The consortium consists of nine schools of theology representing the
Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions, centers of Jewish, Buddhist,
and Orthodox studies, and five research centers and affiliates. The
GTU works collaboratively with the University of California, Berkeley,
and is the home of the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, one of the most
comprehensive theological libraries in the country.


I don't know if there are other institutions like this, but it might
be worth a look.

~ czh ~

Thanks, frde.  I greatly appreciate your comments.

ron

Thank you, czh!  That is a great idea.

ron