JOHNNY BOOKSEED:

Bibliophile is on quest to give free books to all who need them (REAGAN HAYNES, October 27, 2002, Canadian Press)

Bartenders know people complain at happy hour. They hear patrons chatter about co-workers, office politics, or, in the case of a group of teachers at Dougherty's Pub, the book shortage at their school. They nod and pour drinks.

But Russell Wattenberg listened, and started putting aside 10 per cent of his tips. He scavenged for books at thrift shops, used bookstores and yard sales and gave them to his customers. When neighbours heard about the beefy bartender donating books to teachers, they dug out more from their attics and brought them in.

"People heard and they donated more books and it just kind of grew and grew and grew until I quit the bar to do it full-time," Wattenberg said. "Now I'm giving away about 20,000 to 25,000 books a week and there's about a thousand people coming through each weekend."

So was born the Book Thing of Baltimore, a non-profit organization that gives books away to whoever wants them. It's run by Wattenberg - a chain-smoking, wry man who said he cries whenever he reads one of his favourites, Of Mice and Men.

Who doesn't? Posted by Orrin Judd at October 28, 2002 1:16 PM