Recycling has a new meaning in Geelong Victoria with the Geelong Book Fair reaching new heights for the Rotary Club of Geelong West, in District 9780.

The Geelong Book Fair now in its 7th year, was initiated originally as a short-term fundraiser to providing financial support for a housing project in Tsunami affected Sri Lanka, where the Club had a real connection through family relationships. Assisted with a Matching Grant from the Rotary Foundation, some 4-5 small but solid, permanent dwellings were able to be constructed with the aid of the Rotary Club of Panadura in District 3220.

Back to recycling, every book sold at the now annual Book Fair has been donated and are therefore second-hand books. Geelong West Rotarians collected some 10,000 books in the months leading up to the 3 day sale, held at the local Town Hall in mid August. The books were sourced from decease estates, cancelled library books, and anyone else that was doing a clean up or downsizing.

Book sorting days, where the stock are placed into appropriate categories also finished with quality fellowship time, assisted with a BBQ & sampling of the local cool-climate wines plus a few other imports.

Book Fair Co-ordinator, Daryl McLure PHF said “the lunch time social at the conclusion of the day’s book sorting was a key element and easily met the advancement of goodwill as one of the key objects of Rotary”.

“The first sales day saw a 50m queue of buyers waiting for the doors to open. Whilst the big spenders initially were second hand book dealers. Supported with a strategic and sponsored advertising program, plenty of buyers continued to fill the Hall over the ensuing days. A profit of almost $15k was achieved which will in 2011, continue to be applied to Rotary approved Club and international programs”, said Daryl.

Club President, Mark McColl added “The books are sold very cheaply and avoid the scrap heap and placed back into the hands of the community for re-use and re-reading”. “Some of the books that have been donated are real gems and many a valuable book has been unearthed, offering potential for some solid returns back to the Club” said Mark.

With the demise of the number of book retailers in the market place, the Geelong Book Fair has filled a void in accessibility of books at a price affordable to all family budgets.

Last year, the Rotary Club of Geelong West was able to make substantial donations to flood effected regions in Queensland and with our own District in Victoria. Other beneficiaries of the Book Fair income were the Rotary Foundation and the Donations-in-Kind Project.

The Club recognises that the Geelong Book Fair is a lot of hard work (books are heavy), however the pain is worth the effort with profits for the Club, benefits the community, supported by the social interactions of its members – Long Live the Geelong Book Fair.