A very busy day in the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel today. Pete gave me an assist with the heavy lifting, which included emptying the Amoosment and Bugge Park Little Libraries. Pete had a good idea, which was to put the books in bins rather than cardboard boxes, so they would not get wet. He also gave me an assist by getting the last of the Book Waves Books out of U-Haul, and going to Thrifter’s Rock, where we sorted through a shopping cart of so-so books, none of which were children’s books.

And two volunteers, Susan and Emma helped get the place ready for an upcoming visit from an Alaskan Senator.

It was a bit hectic for a bit, but after everyone except me had left (my final task involved putting the little library books in Banker Boxes), I looked around and thought – wow. This place really looks good.

And I let my mind wander, and I thought, yep, I am my father’s daughter, attempting to do the impossible, get more people to read and talk about what they’re reading. When my father had his bookstore, there was no internet. Then, computers were very, very large and laptops were non-existent. And there was no social media.

This was in the mid-1970s.

My father went the conventional route, opened a bookstore, Country Lights, for sale books, mostly new, some old. I think that he thought that I might someday run his bookstore, and if it had been successful, I might have.

Books, reading, and talking about them, for sure it was in both our DNA. I took a differing approach in finding an outlet for my love of books. I began gathering them up and giving them away. I really had no idea that taking on this task would go the way it’s gone.

We are identified by our books – I have heard people say, “I got a BLBP book.”

The success (and it has been a successful venture) has come about because of circumstance – there is an overabundance of books and an underabundance of readers, but readers nonetheless. And because enough readers have given an assist in getting this project going.

The other reader who has been pulling the cart is Pete. He too has embraced this project and has taken on tasks that are of interest to him, like writing grants.

I do wish that my father was around, so that he could see what I have done. The question is, would he have done the same? I think he would have. Yes, he would have enjoyed hanging out and talking books with people, as I do.

It’s very strange, to take a parent’s dream one step further. I have to give this matter more thought.

Next: 298. 11/2/24: My Mother’s Daughter