August Status Update
Summer Sarah!
Greetings! It’s been awhile since I updated the blog, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to do a brief Betsy’s Books project status update!
~1,655: Number of Books Distributed through Little Free Libraries
This means that there are about ~976 books remaining in the collection. I estimate that about 150-250 of the remaining are books that I will keep for my own collection, or they were in poor condition and not eligible for distribution. Most of the remaining books are here with me in Seattle, lining the shelves that I bought so I could get rid of all the boxes that were cluttering my apartment. There are also a few more boxes of really old books that I’d like to get appraised in my storage unit in Colorado. I’m hoping to finish the bulk of distribution by December!
~ 89: Number of postcards returned
This is such a small number when you compare it to how many books are out there in the world, but I keep reminding myself that this isn’t really about the number of postcards that get returned - the real value of this project is the wonderful community of people who are following along and cheering for each and every one that I do receive. If you’re not following along on social media, you’re missing out on some wonderful heartfelt messages from readers around the world!
~ 36: Postcards shared on Tiktok/Instagram (and 2300+ followers on TikTok!)
I took an unintentional break from sharing the messages on TikTok and Instagram while I finished prepping my mom’s townhome for sale - a major feat. It finally went on the market in July and I’m really proud of myself for reaching this milestone. I recommitted to sharing the messages a few weeks ago and saw a huge uptick in new followers when I posted regularly - there are now over 2300 people following the journey of the postcards!
1 new P.O. Box :(
I was super disappointed to learn that the 3rd part shipping/mailing business where I purchased a P.O. Box was going out of business. I very intentionally selected this small business because I wanted to support a Black-owned business in Seattle’s historically Black neighborhood that was providing a vital service for the community. Unfortunately, that business has been the victim of persistent break-ins and the owner decided to close the store - a decision I completely support because I care about the well-being of her and her employees. I am also really upset that we can’t have nice things these days in Seattle. A business like this should be able to exist, survive, and thrive.
Of course, I am also concerned that there are over 1600 postcards out in the world with a now defunct address on them, and I am trusting USPS to do their job and ensure that the cards make it to my NEW P.O. Box (which is honestly about 234x easier for me to pick up), but putting my trust in the hands of a government service seems a little bit foolish. But if there’s one thing that my mother’s death, and having to administer her estate has taught me, it’s that you can’t control anything and what will be will be.
Crossing all my fingers and toes!
