SALEM — Bookworms rejoice.
On Saturday, Sept. 26, the city of Salem is encouraging residents who had planned to attend or donate to SalemRecycles’ popular free Book Swap to instead participate in a Free Book Day and share their books with neighbors curbside in front of their homes.
“(We’ve) struggled this year with so many of our events canceled, especially the Book Swap,” said SalemRecycles volunteer Liz Vago. “We wanted to find a way to share books in a responsible way during the pandemic.”
No stranger to hard times, SalemRecycles — a volunteer committee appointed by the mayor with the mission of motivating Salem residents to recycle more and waste less — held its first book swap event in 2009 at the start of the country’s historic economic downturn in an effort to provide people with a free and fun way to come together as a community.
“People were struggling, it was cold, so (we thought), ‘Why don’t we try to do a book swap to see if people have extra books they want to share?’” Vago said.
Initially held once a year in a local church basement, the event became so popular that the organization began to host it twice a year — once in September and once in March — at Salem’s much larger Community Life Center on Bridge Street.
Although this year’s March swap was canceled due to the pandemic, Vago said the occasion normally attracts up to 800 people who come out to enjoy a day of trading books and chatting with friends and neighbors as they browse an extensive collection of genres.
“The concern this year was that we don’t want large gatherings,” she said. “But people really miss the book swap. They look forward to it.”
Undeterred, Vago was inspired to help SalemRecycles hold city-wide “socially distanced” Free Book Day after participating in one through her own neighborhood, during which residents simply left unwanted books in a box outside their front doors for others to take.
On the day of the swap, residents throughout Salem will now do the same.
“This all came together very quickly in the last couple of weeks,” Vago said. “I’m excited about it.”
To keep this year’s event as safe as possible, the organization asks that books not actually be “swapped,” meaning participants should not drop off books at other residents’ tables, only pick them up.
Masks or face coverings must be worn, and participants are asked to follow physical distancing guidelines by staying at least six feet apart.
Those interested in taking part can visit greensalem.com for more information, including details on how to participate, a list of participating addresses, a downloadable flyer to attach to their table or box, and information on where to donate unclaimed books at the end of the day.
“Who knows how many people will participate, but I think it’s a good start,” Vago said. “We’re trying to find innovative ways to do things right now to build community and meet our mission.”
She added that she hopes the fun idea catches on in other towns and cities nearby.
“One thing that was really nice when we started doing the book swap earlier on was that some other communities in Massachusetts started doing them,” she said. “I think it would be nice to have other communities do these kinds of events, too.”
