Pre-loved books - potential

Unlocking the potential of our second-hand books

We are delighted to share news of a wonderful recent donation we received from Rev Dr Louise Hearn of East Sheen Baptist Church.

As she downsizes her personal library, Louise generously gifted us with over 100 high-quality books. These titles will be sent to Malawi this year, to the Salima Resource Centre run by Starfish Malawi. This resource hub is now very well-known, and we are getting requests for books that will support pastors in their theological education to diploma and degree level.

When we are fortunate enough to receive books of this calibre, our priority is to ensure that their value is maximised. Rather than sending them to individual pastors who may refer to them just occasionally, we send these resources to Bible schools and college libraries, where they can be accessed by students and faculty alike. This allows the books to have a far-reaching impact, benefitting those who will use them regularly in their studies and teaching. 

Looking ahead, we are rationalising our own pre-loved book collection. Over the coming months, we will be carefully reviewing our existing stock, ensuring each book’s relevance and value to our recipients. Reluctantly, therefore, during this time, we will not be accepting additional book donations until we have placed the books we already have. Now that we have several years’ experience with these pre-loved books, in the future we anticipate a much swifter turnaround so that books are sorted, packed and dispatched as they come to us. This will also reduce the storage space needed. 

Leaders in the UK, like Louise, often find it a huge wrench parting with their beloved books! She mentioned that many of them were birthday, or Christmas presents over the years, as she built her collection. Knowing that they will find a new life helping the next generation of Bible students makes letting go of them much easier.

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