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Book swap exceeds expectations
McCOOK, Neb. – From “Bonnie and Clyde: The True Untold Story” to “Bovine Psychology,” there was something for everyone at the book swap Feb. 22 at the YMCA of McCook.
About 75 people attended Saturday’s event, according to coordinator Saraya Currier, Youth Development Director at the McCook YMCA. “It definitely blew away my expectations, I was expecting around 40 to 50 people,” she said.
For those like Nikki Jones and Hailey Sabin of McCook, attending the book swap was a no-brainer. “ We love reading, at work we talk about books all the time,” Jones said. “So this seemed like a fun little thing to do on an afternoon.”
For others, it was a way to unload some books of their own. “I had a lot of books in my closet and I figured I might as well bring them here and pick up a few new ones,” said Mackenzie Smith, who attended with her mom.
Another attendee, who dropped off two bags of books, said she has about 10 books on her nightstand waiting to be read and had no intention of getting any more books.
“But I don’t know what happened, books just jumped off the table and into my bag,” she joked.
The majority of books donated came in before the swap, Currier said, although many were also dropped off the day-of. Books of all genres were donated, including many adult nonfiction, children’s books and books by well-known fiction writers.
Although hard-core readers are notorious for preferring the company of books rather than people, this wasn’t the case at Saturday’s swap, Currier said.
“What was really great about (Saturday) is that people were engaging with other people and not just with the people they came with,” she said. Senior citizens were greeting each other and children were playing around. “It was cool to see a lot of people connecting over books.”
The unofficial greeter of the event was Mitchell Thompson, 9, who eagerly welcomed everyone at the door and periodically made a sweep through the crowd, offering participants additional bags for their books.
The talkative nine-year-old said he loves volunteering and that “I’ve always been a mature child, I really like to talk.” Although admittedly not a big reader himself – he prefers to read for facts, not fun – he loves to cook and hopes to operate a food truck one day. That, in addition to being a cook or a farmer, he added.
In addition to a plethora of books, also present were representatives of the McCook Public Library and McCook Community College von Riesen Library, sharing resources that are available to the public.
For those who missed the swap, books are still available for free at the YMCA of McCook through Friday, March 28. After that, leftover books will be donated to the local jail and city library, Currier said.