ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, September 13, 1996 TAG: 9609130109
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
REALIZING HOW hard it was to buy a book when he visited Tanzania and Kenya, Bruce Brenner helped start a drive to ship used books to Africa.
A partnership of Roanoke Valley businesses and organizations - led by Cycle Systems Inc. - began a project Thursday to collect books for the world's poorest continent.
"Books for Africa" is a pilot project to re-use, rather than recycle, discarded books. The project is the brainchild of Bruce Brenner, president of Cycle Systems, a Roanoke recycling processor.
Two years ago, Brenner was on a safari in Kenya and Tanzania. He had forgot to bring something to read and stopped in a store to buy a paperback copy of "Out of Africa."
"Can you imagine my shock when the then-little paperback publication, which sells in the U.S. for $4.50, was $24.50?" he asked at a news conference Thursday. "I didn't buy the book, but I decided to figure out why it was so expensive."
Brenner learned that trees don't grow plentifully in Africa's relatively infertile soil. Because paper products must be imported, books are expensive and inaccessible to many people. Schools, in particular, lack books. One Kenyan school of 600 students, for example, had fewer than 100 books.
Cycle Systems shreds thousands of discarded books every month, Brenner said.
"I realized if members of my industry worked together, we could easily supply the books to build the education level of an entire continent," he said.
Brenner went to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industry - it represents more than 120 paper stock dealers - with a proposal to donate discarded books to African countries rather than recycle them. The institute's leadership group suggested Brenner first attempt the project in his community, then - depending on its success - try it elsewhere.
Brenner found about 60 companies and individuals in the Roanoke Valley who were willing to participate in the project. Seven Roanoke Valley companies and organizations formed the project's core partnership: Cycle Systems with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Clean Valley Council, Goodwill Industries, Lin Chaff Public Relations & Advertising, Roanoke-Kisumu Sister City Committee with the Kenyan Embassy in Washington, the Rotary Club of Roanoke-Downtown and the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
The partnership's goal is to present Roanoke's sister city of Kisumu, Kenya, with 100,000 books as a holiday gift in December. Book donations will continue through 1997.
Donated books initially will be sent to Kisumu. Eventually, the books will be distributed to school systems throughout Africa. The partnership is seeking monetary contributions as well, to help cover the cost of transporting the books - about 20 cents per book.
Hardback books are needed in the following categories: nonfiction, fiction, reference, arts and education materials ranging from elementary school to the university level.
The downtown Roanoke Rotary Club is helping with shipping costs. The transportation museum will provide storage and sorting space for the books.
Books can be dropped off at Cycle Systems, 2580 Broadway St. in Southwest Roanoke, or Goodwill collection boxes. Those boxes will be marked with "Books for Africa" signs.
In Roanoke, collection boxes will be at Brambleton Avenue near the Coffee Pot Restaurant, U.S. 220 between Virginia 419 and Hunting Hills Plaza, Franklin Road and McClanahan Street in Southwest, the Food Lion at Cove and Peters Creek roads, Crossroads Mall across from Lowe's, and U.S. 460 East next to Dave's Restaurant.
In Salem, collection boxes will be at West Main Street at the Snuggery Restaurant, the Goodwill Industries store at 1489 E. Main Street, and Lee-Hi Bowling Lanes at 1830 Apperson Drive.
In Botetourt County, boxes will be at the Minute Mart on Virginia 604, the Food Lion in Blue Ridge on U.S. 460, and in Daleville across from Lord Botetourt High School.
In Roanoke County, a collection box will be at the Goodwill Store at Peters Creek and Williamson roads.
Area schools and libraries that hold book drives may also have collection boxes.
Donations may be mailed to: Books for Africa, c/o Clean Valley Council, P.O. Box 523, Roanoke 24003-0523. For more information, call Lin Chaff at (540)776-0559 or Ann Masters at (540)345-5523.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: NHAT MEYER/Staff As president of Cycle Systems, Bruceby CNBBrenner is usually in the business of shredding books, not re-using
them. color.