A lending library of second-hand books has been created by a small group of people who want to put their unwanted books to good use.
In just one year, the group has blossomed to include 430 members, and they lend books to prisons as well as needy libraries and individuals around the country.
The Thessaloniki-based group, called "Book 2nd Chance: - www.book2chance.gr - has expanded by word of mouth and today counts banks, offices, 35 schools, the Thessaloniki Film Festival, local authorities, as well as other organizations and individuals around Greece.
The group also recycles newspapers, magazines, and other scrap of paper. "For every 100 kilos of paper recycled, two trees are saved from felling, along with 50% of water and energy needed to process paper, thereby reducing the resulting atmospheric pollution by 75%,” says organizer Polykarpos Orfanidis.
Athens Plus (29.1.2010): Giving old books a second chance at life (p.15)