Bookarama preparation in full swing . . .

Bookmark May 9 for Rotary South’s grand fund-raising event

Timaru Rotary South is waving a huge bookmark for the diaries of South Canterbury book lovers on Monday May 9, with the opening day of what has for more than 15 years become an institution in fundraising for local charities – Bookarama.

And as in previous years this popular event, which consistently raises five-figure sums for distribution locally, is likely to see queues form ahead of a 9am opening outside the former SCEPB building on the corner of Barnard Street and Woollcombe Street Timaru.

Bookarama will run from Saturday May 9 to Thursday May 14 and literally thousands of books, magazines and LPs are in the process of being painstakingly collected, dusted off, priced and displayed by Rotary Timaru South members after repeated trips to public drop-off points at service stations in Timaru and Pleasant Point.

Bookarama convenor Cliff Robinson, a long-time Rotary member and Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, says the event always gives him a thrill.

“Sure, it’s a lot of hard work and means long hours for members in the lead-up but it is so rewarding facilitating ways for the community to help themselves by donating and buying books and providing funds for Rotary’s worthwhile list of charities,” he said.

Those charities are numerous and the sums raised are large.

In a good year, a Rotary Timaru South Bookarama can raise as much as $20,000 and charities to have benefited already include the South Canterbury Cancer Society, Davidson House and Ronald McDonald House, cancer residential facilities in Christchurch, and Timaru’s all-weather athletics track.

“We try to ensure the money is spread around,” Mr Robinson said.

“If a little bit of good rubs off on someone, what more can you ask for. This is what Rotary is all about.”

He urged the public to attend and pick up a bargain read.

“In these tougher economic times, reading provides a really meaningful alternative to restaurants, pubs, and other sometimes more costly outings.”

Keeping an eye on the donated books and their potential Bookarama value is local book valuer Doug Lawrie.

Mr Lawrie is Rotary Timaru South’s literary pricing expert and is keen to ensure bargains are available while also ensuring that truly rare and valuable donations are accorded the treatment they deserve.

He is well qualified for his voluntary role being a former national advertising manager of former national bookseller Whitcombe and Tombs, now Whitcoulls, and later transferring to a role as a book producer.

Mr Lawrie loves the quirky discoveries he makes while setting out the donations on trestles, all neatly categorised to make browsing easy for patrons.

“Like the time I discovered an odd little book that turned out to be printed in Timaru. It was a little book about chemistry and we had a challenge to find the long defunct printing company which produced it.”

Mr Lawrie, who says he got into the Bookarama by accident after helping a friend, Rotarian Des Kearns, is now in his third year.

“But I have still to find the $5000 book,” he said.

Many people have books they would like to give to us but don’t because they think they are junk.

“Let us be the judge,” he said, holding up a first-edition Enid Blyton that was at the bottom of a plastic bag.

“The valuable books are out there. Come down on May 9 and find out.”

ENDS

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