Free Books Project Successfully Launched on Saturday

Cetma’s free book exchange project got of to a flying start on Saturday with a visit from Lee Waters AM, local author Bryce Thomas and Llanelli Rural Council Mayor Steve Donoghue to the projects location in Llanelli.

Managing Director Jonathan Williams said in a statement that ‘he felt passionately about books,’ and that ‘large numbers of books that were collected by various recycling schemes simply wound up as wood pulp and that this was a shame.’

The book exchange project has been open to the public for a number of weeks in the Cetma offices at 100 Lower Trostre Road Llanelli, and has been well received.

The visiting dignitaries mingled with members of the public, discussing politics and local issues as well as enthusing their support for the project in general.

Jonathan Williams continued by saying ‘Books represent work, the author has a spent great deal of time trying their best to inform or entertain the reader, it’s sad that when people who no longer want these books decide to pass them on for the enjoyment of others they often find their way to the pulping plant.  We decided that we just had to change that.”

Members of the public who visited enjoyed a tranquil atmosphere where they could browse the many books on offer, enjoy a cup of tea and a cake and just simply sit and read, in another part of the facilities kids were free to play in a ball pit and enjoy some face painting.

Llanelli AM Lee Waters even read them a story which they all enjoyed.

Visitors can take up to 3 books per household, per visit without any obligation to bring them back.  “It’s just like a library but there’s no fines,” joked Cetma’s Deputy Managing Director Mark Bridgeman who went on to say that as a book lover he had donated his own books to the project in order to free up some space in the house.

Mark said that he had to be absolutely ruthless when donating books, as he was a bit or a hoarder, so he decided to donate anything that he knew he wouldn’t read again to go alongside the hundreds of other books donated by members of the public who like him felt strongly that a good book was wasted when put in the landfill site or pulped to make other paper products such as toilet rolls or kitchen towels.

He went on to say “All that we ask is that when you finish with the books, you might want to bring them back and pass them to someone else to enjoy them, and if you’ve got some old books hanging around the house that you no longer want then please consider donating them.”

Llanelli Rural Council Mayor Steve Donoghue was invited to a tour of the project and was highly supportive saying that the projects goals were a great idea and that we were preaching to the converted.  Steve was also interested in the PC3R’s computer recycling project in which old computer equipment could be donated to avoid going into the landfill to be refurbished in order to extend the lifecycle of a computer and prevent it from being destroyed, or sent to landfill which was also a waste.

Local author Bryce Thomas also was present to show his support for the book project, Bryce spoke at length about the great societal value of books not only as a pleasing pastime but also as a tool for learning.  Bryce brought along several copies of his own book ‘Blue Tooth’ and spoke at length to visitors to the book project about books in general, writing, the struggles of being an author as well as more esoteric subjects such as philosophy, economics and politics, stating that he thoroughly enjoyed himself and had a great time at the book project launch.

If you’d like to find out more about the book project then please call in to CETMA (100 Lower Trostre Road, Llanelli) the project is open daily from 10.30 AM Monday to Saturday – all donations of books are welcome!  Please feel free to come along and take some free books of our hands, with absolutely no charge to you or any requirement to make a donation.  This is a 100% free service.

Gallery.

Featured Image: CETMA Managing Director Jonathan Williams explaining the scope of the free book project to Llanelli AM Lee Waters.

All other images are copyright CETMA 2016 and used with permission.