225,000 books to go up in flames. HELP!

The deadline is July 7 - if the books don't find a home by then, they burn.

A stack of 225,000 books would be a treasure trove to a public library system, a school board, or a literacy-based charity, but the real logistics of storing and sorting through all the books are an incredible challenge. With most charities, school boards, and libraries already facing cuts and short on staff and space, finding a storage area and enough resources to adequately sort and filter the collection is almost impossible.

The alternative, burning the books, seems tragic: there is immense value, both in money and knowledge and historical relevance, to a collection of that size. Losing that many printed tomes would be sad, particularly when so many people and organizations are scrambling to try and source good literature and reading materials.

If charitable organizations need books, and Shaunna Raycraft needs to get rid of hers, what is most needed is a generous benefactor who has the capacity to store and sort through the collection. Perhaps a large bookstore chain, or other such company that has the resources to process the 225,000 book library, can devote part of their time and space to help save the books — it would count towards their community and charitable endeavors, saving a large collection and making sure the books end up in the hands of the people who need them most.

Otherwise, the books are going up in flames...

This would be a tragedy.

Can anyone help?

More coverage.

What would you do with 350,000 books?

The collection is vast. "There's everything you can think of," Raycraft said. It includes 1920s how-to manuals, a first edition of Black Beauty, 30 years of Chatelaine magazine and memoirs covering everything from one man's quest to hunt big game in Africa to one woman's account of the devastation her community experienced during the Second World War. Raycraft's collection is diverse as it is vast, and she wants to share this rich resource with others.

...Raycraft is currently storing the collection in her new house. Yes, she bought an entire new house to store all the books. But the house is collapsing under the weight of the collection, and Raycroft is certain the house won't last much longer. "We're out of time," she admitted. "With books, if you want to preserved them, they have to be in climate control, they have to be taken care of."

Raycraft still has hope that another book lover will come out of the woodwork and help make her dream a reality. She wants to sort the books, and get the gems in the hands of people who will appreciate them.

The beleaguered book lover is open to suggestion: so, what would you do with 350,000 books?

Saskatchewan woman prepares to burn the books she worked so hard to save

If the logistics of storing them is the problem... then they should convert them into digital form and upload them to the internet where we can all download them for free... they can't afford to host a website which will provide constant free downloads you say? T-t-t-torrent.

Originally posted by ChaoticOrder
If the logistics of storing them is the problem... then they should convert them into digital form and upload them to the internet where we can all download them for free... they can't afford to host a website which will provide constant free downloads you say? T-t-t-torrent.

c-c-c-copyright infringement.

Sell them on EBAY.First editions and collectors books would fetch a fair price.

Originally posted by SpearMint
c-c-c-copyright infringement.

Oh... so they can give these copies away to who ever wants them but it's illegal should we replicate the information in these books multiple times... and it's better to just burn them rather than provide people with useful knowledge. This is why the world is in such a sad state, we value "the bottom line" more than we value making our collective knowledge available to the collective.

Originally posted by ChaoticOrder

Originally posted by SpearMint
c-c-c-copyright infringement.

Oh... so they can give these copies away to who ever wants them but it's illegal should we replicate the information in these books multiple times... and it's better to just burn them rather than provide people with useful knowledge. This is why the world is in such a sad state, we value "the bottom line" more than we value making our collective knowledge available to the collective.

It's not my opinion, it's the law. Giving away the original copy is fine, replicating is illegal, burning is a waste.

I will pay postage for her to mail them all to me. Why the hell would anyone burn them?

On second thought im not rich. But i will take what i can get in 500 dollars postage.

I find it odd that she is desperately trying rid herself of these books yet the article provided zero contact information, I'd be glad to take some books of her hands, hell I might even drive up there, I have relatives in indiana and it's alot cooler in the north than it is down here. I could also think of a few church libraries that might use a few more books. I also know an antique book seller that would love to get his hands on even a portion of this collection, yet sadly, no contact info, and email address would have been nice.

I agree this is a shame. Sure some of the old magazines can be burned. Sad thing is alot of people do not reads books anymore.

I saw the pictures of her library in the local news and it looked like a hoarders nightmare! It would literally take a team working around the clock to catalogue, sort, and qualify each book. This would take a very long time. This is where someone needs to step up to the plate.

ETA; I was also curious as to why she would BURN these books. Surely recycling them would be a better option? The books consist of paper right?