One Dollar Book Swap makes it easy to read thanks to their low price of $1 per book, but this dynamic business isn't satisfied with simply supplying your summer reading.
Making a Difference with the One Dollar Book Swap
Avid readers of Dayton, rejoice! One Dollar Book Swap makes it easy to read thanks to their low price of $1 per book plus a nearly limitless selection of books available throughout their expansive warehouse. But this dynamic business isn't satisfied with simply supplying your summer reading - they are making a real difference in the Dayton community and beyond by supplying free books to those in need.
Opening in 2015, One Dollar Book Swap came about as a side project for Greg Murphy, owner online business Murphbooks. His employees sort, evaluate, and process 60 tons of used books per week. The most valuable books are immediately listed online, leaving quite a few books (think thousands) in great condition that are sorted and shelved in the warehouse for the One Dollar Book Sale. They also recycle any books that aren't usable - maybe they'll even become books again in the future!
But how do they shelve so many books for the sale each week? Volunteers! People from the community are encouraged to volunteer at One Dollar Book Swap. In exchange, for every 3 hour shift completed, volunteers receive a $30 credit to use at the sale or to donate to a teacher or organization of their choice. In fact, Hannah of Hannah's Treasure Chest is accumulating volunteer credit to use toward supplying the Sandals Foundation with books to send to children in need in the Bahamas. If you'd like to volunteer your time to help Hannah send books to the Bahamas, you can arrange to have your hours count toward her credits. One Dollar Books Swap has generously offered to match the credits to double the number of books heading to the islands and they are getting very close to their first pallet.
Don't have a lot of time but still want free books? You can swap 2 qualifying books to receive a $1 credit at the sale. One Dollar Book Swap also offers a free book coupon on their website. Their goal for 2016 is to give away one million books!
This family business is doing great in the Dayton area where it has been very well received by the community. One reason might be that One Dollar Book Swap is open to suggestions from their customers. In fact, they count on it to help them improve their business going forward. "We're amateurs at retail, we're mostly figuring it out as we go along," quips Greg Murphy. Each week he and his staff can be found making changes and improvements all over the warehouse to make the consumer experience better and better. Plans for the future include more events in the warehouse for the community, as well as a possible retail store opening in the south of town in the fall.
While this side project is fast becoming the primary focus for Greg, his dedication to putting books into the hands of the community, especially to the under-served in Dayton, is unparalleled except perhaps by the library. In explaining the difference between borrowing and owning books Greg points out that owning them, especially for children, changes our relationship with books. He believes when a child is given a book to keep, they are much more likely to read and cherish it.
The One Dollar Book Swap is located at 1723 Webster Street, Dayton, OH 45404 and is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm and Sundays from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Keep an eye on their facebook page for updates.
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One Dollar Book Swap.
