Bookstock leaders: Roz Blanck, Sheri
Schiff, Susi Schoenberger, Janet
Berman, Karen Simmons and Jodi
Goodman
Ten years of selling books, promoting literacy
and uniting the community.
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
T
en years and more than a million
books, records, CDs, DVDs and
special collections — all sold to
benefit community education and literacy.
This year, Bookstock celebrates its 10th
anniversary. It has come a long way since
two Jewish women looking for a volunteer
project decided to revive the long-stand-
ing Brandeis used book sale that ended
because the volunteer pool of the Detroit
Chapter of Brandeis National Women's
Committee was aging and declining.
Roz Blanck and Jodi Goodman, both of
Franklin, learned the ins and outs of the
book sale from Brandeis volunteers, and
then launched their first sale.
"The Brandeis women taught us every-
thing — how to sort, special pricing;
everything they said was right: Goodman
says. That first sale lasted four days.
"We just wanted to get through that first
year," Blanck says.
"We didn't know if we'd have enough
books, but when we saw how many left-
overs we had, we knew we could go eight
days. We learned that aside from the num-
ber of volunteers needed, it takes no more
energy to set up an eight-day sale than a
four-day sale."
Just like Passover, the past nine sales all
have lasted eight days.
This year, Bookstock runs from April
22-29 at Livonia's Laurel Park Place. With
the motto, "supporting the need to read:
Bookstock has raised more than $655,000
over 10 years for a host of community
education and literacy projects; it also
deploys more than 700 volunteers annu-
ally to organize and conduct the eight-day
sale, which includes 400 alone to run the
sale.
The work continues year-round, with
planning, collections and sorting as ongo-
12
April 12 2012
ing endeavors.
"There are a lot of people to manage
and a lot to do: says Sheri Schiff, depot
manager, who heads the important sorting
and boxing efforts.
"It's a business, but we don't get paid
— just in satisfaction: Blanck says.
"Volunteering is therapy for me
Goodman has called her job a "full-
time, part-time volunteer position:
Blanck and Goodman now are advisory
chairs, with three co-chairs managing the
sale. The two are still very involved, but
their stress levels are definitely down.
"The first year I lost 10 pounds:
Goodman says,"but I don't lose weight
any more.
"It is absolutely true that we learned
more each year by doing: she continues.
"We learned that emails expedite the flow
of information, but people and volunteers
need to be called because there is nothing
like actually speaking to someone.
"We learned that procedures, such
as pricing the books and ringing up
sales, have to be streamlined and simple
because it is difficult to explain anything
complex or confusing 700 times to each of
the 700 volunteers.
"We also learned that engaging cus-
tomers at the sale not only sells more
merchandise, but also is a rewarding
experience for both the volunteer and the
customer!"
That interaction at the 240 tables
laden with books and more is integral to
Bookstock's success.
"Most of the volunteers are very well-
read; they start conversations about books
and that's how people start buying: says
Susi Schoenberger of West Bloomfield, a
co-chair since 2009.
"Cookbooks are popular. One year, a
chef and teacher were mobbed with ques-
tions as they were buying cookbooks.
Bookstock brings out the best in every-
one she says.
"It's not just a sale says Karen
Simmons of West Bloomfield, a co-chair
since 2010. "People are talking about
books, and it happens at all the tables.
Bookstock is a destination; people plan
for it:
Janet Berman of Farmington Hills, a
co-chair since 2007, says Bookstock's
reputation goes far beyond Southeastern
Michigan.
"People come from all over the state
she says. "Last year, a teacher came from
the Upper Peninsula to buy children's
books. She made it a weekend."
Innovative System
A coalition of 12 primarily Jewish non-
profit organizations, Bookstock is man-
aged and driven by volunteers. Each of
the 12 organizations provide volunteers
throughout the year to support Bookstock
and are rewarded with a portion of sales
proceeds, based on the number of vol-
unteer hours they supply. Each organiza-
tion then has the autonomy to determine
which community education or literacy
project to support with their proceeds.
Expenses are kept to a minimum —
everyone is a volunteer — and many
high-priced items, such as storage loca-
tions and moving trucks, are donated, so
the majority of profits go directly to the
community projects.
"It's such a win-win project that brings
our whole community together;' Berman
says. "It's about the contributor who gets a
tax receipt and finds a home for his loved
books. It's about the happy purchaser
who has bought some treasured finds. It's
about the end-product recipient who gets
needed literacy skills because of the funds
raised at Bookstock. How lucky we all are
to have such a project in our community."
The Bookstock Steering Committee,
with one or two people from each member
organization, meets throughout the year
to plan and organize the sale — and to
secure volunteers.
Volunteers log hours through collec-
tions, sorting, distributing Bookstock
promotional materials, and by setting up,
staffing and tearing down the sale at its
conclusion.
When volunteers log hours, they desig-
nate a member organization. At the end,
all volunteer hours are tallied and the per-
centage of hours each organization gave is
determined. In 2011, Bookstock volunteers
logged a total of 3,961 hours, with an hour
worth about $16.
Because the Jewish community cannot
provide volunteers to work on Shabbat,
the Oakland Literacy Council sponsors the
Friday evening and Saturday of each book
sale.
Last year, for the first time, 100 percent
of the unsold books were donated to
charities and other nonprofits in the area.
Representatives register in advance and
arrive at the close of the sale to carry away
remaining books and other unsold mate-
rials. After that, all remaining books are
taken away by Salvation Army to be dis-
tributed to its many stores and programs.
Additionally, Bookstock established the
Bookstock Scholar Awards in conjunction
with corporate partners Gardner White
Furniture and Wallside Windows. The first
three scholarships were given to outstand-
ing library science and information stu-
dents at Wayne State University last year.
Bookstock leaders also are thinking
ahead to when fewer and fewer people will
be holding books in their hands and more
will be reading electronically.
"We are ahead of the curve Blanck says.
"We have built up our brand name and
now the [newly established]Bookstock
Fund will continue to support educa-
tion and literacy. We held an event this
month at WDIV-TV and raised money.
We'll be giving out micro-loans from the
Bookstock Fund."
Goodman says, "The most important
thing we learned is that a great project is
not great simply because of what it does or
what it accomplishes, but a great project is
great because of the people involved and
the community that develops.
"The bottom line is that through
Bookstock, we learned firsthand the
meaning behind the phrase 'it takes a vil-
lage: It is this Bookstock village that has
led to Bookstock's success and longevity"
Bookstock participating organiza-
tions are Akiva Hebrew Day School,
CommunityNEXT, Frankel Jewish
Academy, Hadassah-Greater Detroit
Chapter, Hillel of Metro Detroit, Jewish
Community Centers of Metropolitan
Detroit, Jewish Community Center of
Greater Ann Arbor, Jewish Community
Relations Council, National Council of
Jewish Women, Oakland Literacy Council
and ORT America. ❑