Those of you who knew Jan, and many who didn't, probably knew that when she wasn't shooting airguns, she was an English teacher, and chair of the English Department, at Delgado College here in New Orleans.
Jan's academic loves were Shakespeare, and Elizabethan history. Also, she passed away leaving many books, and I have many books, and there's no way I'm going to be able to read them all before I die, and since Delgado 's library suffered serious book losses during Hurrican Katrina...well, put it all together, and here's what I'm going to do!
I'm going to trade in every book I own that I'm not going to read, along with every book that I do read, but decide not to keep. I have struck up a deal with a second hand bookstore owner (picture a place on Charing Cross Road in London) who gives good store credit for trade-ins, and take his Elizabethan and Shakespearean books in trade.
If one store's stock of same isn't sufficient, I'll work with additional stores.
These books, in turn, I'll donate to Delgado.
It's a win-all-around situation. I'm forcing myself to confront my book possessions. I'll have the fun and education of reading some of them. I'll free up space in my house. The book dealer will get LOTS of trading stock. I'll take some of his stock off his hands. Delgado will get to build its collection, the students and faculty will get to use them, I'll get to take a tax deduction for my donation...
... and the most important reason to me, is that we will be creating a permanent and practical memorial to honor my beautiful Jan: the Janet McArthur Memorial Book Trust
Since my personal stock of books won't last forever - neither will I, for that matter - I'm also going to look into getting this project incorporated as a non-profit, tax-deductible venture, with directors, and a permanent life of its own.
Jim
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Originally Posted by BeerJam
