You might assume books donated to our bookshops have been gathering dust behind closed doors during lockdown, but this isn’t the case at all thanks to some new initiatives and creative thinking by the team.
Anne Rogers, Scannappeal Volunteers Coordinator, has been leading the way with checking, scanning and selling books throughout lockdown via online platforms including eBay and Ziffit.
Special edition books and collectables are now regularly being sold on eBay, allowing us to make sure we get the very best value for out of the ordinary books. Recent sales include a signed copy of The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson and Some Sunny day, signed by Dame Vera Lynn.
Ziffit is easy to use from home, by using the camera on your phone to scan the barcode on a book you get an instant valuation. If you are a UK taxpayer you can also tick the gift aid box. Books are then sent free of charge to Ziffit (free collection or drop off) and once received and checked the donation is paid straight to Scannappeal.
Wycombe and Stoke Mandeville bookshops continue to be well used with our honesty donation system, meaning hospital visitors can grab a book and drop a £1 in the slot. We recognise many people now prefer not to use cash and thanks to a recent donation from Heart of Bucks we will soon have Tap Donate points in all of our shops, making it even easier to shop with us.
The latest government announcement gives us great hope that our doors will once again reopen on 12 April and work has already begun on making each shop accessible to all. We cant wait to welcome back customers and volunteers.