Pete recently got a call from Carole at VCRS, giving him the name of the fellow who takes on and distributes the Mat-Su School District textbooks and whatnot. Pete contacted him, and so today we went and met up with James, who runs the show there. I had a clipboard and note paper, but rather than take notes, I instead put my brain on record, so as to take in as many salient details as possible.

The warehouse appears large from the outside, and it appears even larger from the inside. It is windowless. Inside, it contains all one would need to furnish an elementary or high school.

James greeted us – him, tall, 40ish, a full head brownish red hair, a full beard, large ears, deeply recessed eyes, a wide forehead, was wearing jeans and a hoodie.

Bill loading the bookcase in the Valley Hotel

From the onset he appeared to be apologetic about the book situation. Our conversation mainly centered around the textbooks, and what is being done with them. They come in, they go out. Some are there for a long, long time. James said that taking them to the recycling center is the last resort. Pete had been attempting to find a buyer for the Go Math series, two pallets of which had ended up at the recycling center. There were at least fifteen more of the same on the warehouse floor. The problem is that some on the school board aren’t keen on the common core math program, which is why they sent them back to the warehouse.

James had not contacted villages about these or other books, so if Pete can’t find a buyer for them, I’ll pursue this particular avenue.

The children and young adult books – this was what I was most interested in finding out about. James pointed to a far wall of boxes, right now inaccessible. There were several pallets of textbooks directly in front of what he called the library books.

I was itching to get at them, but quickly realized that I am going to have to wait. The school district routinely has surplus sales in which everything that has not been distributed, goes. This includes the library books.

Me, I want to go there for the sale, with a notebook in hand, and interview buyers.

There is a story here, one with national implications because what’s going on here, stockpiled books on pallets and shrink wrapped, is happening nationally. It is just odd that this would be going on here in Palmer, Alaska, which is far removed from the Lower 48. The word that comes to mind is wastage. Talk about making a carbon footprint. These books either come here by barge or by semi, encased in shrink wrap. If teachers don’t take them on, they remain un-used.

These are expensive textbooks – expensive because of the corporatization of this particular industry. Covid made the situation worse, since few teachers were interested in those texts that don’t have an online component.

I am thinking that going to the sale, and later writing about it will bring attention to this aspect of the book trade.

I didn’t mention this to James, but I will.

Next: 174. 6/24/21: Spay Day