OWASCO - Pat Oxford doesn't normally do her shopping at the dump.
But on a recent Wednesday afternoon, the Owasco woman was on the hunt for summer reading books for her ninth-grade daughter. A trip to Seymour library didn't yield any of the contemporary classics on the list, and Syracuse was farther than Oxford wanted to drive.
So while on a trip to the Owasco recycling center on Route 38A to buy some garbage bags, Oxford thought she'd pop into the used book library at the center to see if she could knock some books off the list.
The used book library, tucked into a back corner next to bins of newspaper and cardboard, has been a part of the facility for 10 years. Recycling in the town began in 1990 and shortly afterward, Mike Wilson, who supervises utilities in Owasco, began collecting the books that people would drop off with the newspapers.
He salvaged the books and built a small alcove with shelves to hold them. As soon as local residents caught wind of the library, they began bringing their old books and swapping them for others. Over the years, the recycling center and its used book library have become a most unlikely gathering spot for local residents.
"There's quite a bit of traffic here on Saturday mornings. It can get pretty crowded, especially during the summer with all the people who have seasonal cottages," Wilson said.
Oxford hasn't been to the used book library in a while, though she used to sift through the magazines that people leave on a table in the alcove, usually with the addresses neatly cut from the bottom of the cover. But as she scanned the rows and rows of books looking for reading list books, she happened upon a number that she might want to read herself.
"I think it's a great idea. I'm totally for it," she said, grabbing "All Things Bright and Beautiful," a book list selection by James Herriot.
There is no organization to the books - Wilson just puts them on the shelves as he gets them. If he sees a book that's been sitting for months, he'll toss it in with the newspapers to be recycled.
The result of the random placement of books on the shelves is a disjointed jumble of paperbacks and hardcovers that couldn't be more different. The Tolkien trilogy shares shelf space with Peter Maas's "Serpico," while Danielle Steel's "Season of Passion" stands next to "Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht.
It took Oxford a while to sort through all the titles and after she was through she entertained the idea of alphabetizing the books in her spare time.
"I might make it my mission to organize these by the author's last name," she joked.
The newer books generally get snapped up quickly, as do the current magazines. But if you look hard, there are still a few gems that haven't been passed over.
It is unlikely that the Harlequin Romance novels, which line the shelves in great volume, will ever move from their spots, but they make for an eclectic collection.
The slim tomes' titles - "The Marquis Takes a Wife," "To Catch a Unicorn" and "Man of Ice" to name a few - make more than a couple browsers chuckle.
Many people also drop off used textbooks, which Bob Ryan, an Owasco resident, uses to broaden his general knowledge.
"I'll pick up something that piques my interest and then I'll bring it back the next week," said Ryan, who comes to the recycling center about every other week.
Some in Owasco want their private book repository to remain a secret so that the selection won't be thinned by non-residents.
But the chances that poachers will come to the Owasco dump for their books are slim. And even if they do, Wilson and his crew know the regulars and are pretty strict with regard to the recycling center's rules.
Wilson is hoping to expand the facility so that there will be a proper book section able to accommodate more titles. The new space will also hold used furniture and will operate in the same way as the book library does now.
This unlikely social setting, at the confluence of trash and treasures, brings people together and its something that Wilson wants to continue.
"The main thing is that you see your neighbors," he said. "People just talk to each other."
Staff Writer Lauren Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext 245 or lauren.ober@lee.net
So while on a trip to the Owasco recycling center on Route 38A to buy some garbage bags, Oxford thought she'd pop into the used book library at the center to see if she could knock some books off the list.
The used book library, tucked into a back corner next to bins of newspaper and cardboard, has been a part of the facility for 10 years. Recycling in the town began in 1990 and shortly afterward, Mike Wilson, who supervises utilities in Owasco, began collecting the books that people would drop off with the newspapers.
He salvaged the books and built a small alcove with shelves to hold them. As soon as local residents caught wind of the library, they began bringing their old books and swapping them for others. Over the years, the recycling center and its used book library have become a most unlikely gathering spot for local residents.
"There's quite a bit of traffic here on Saturday mornings. It can get pretty crowded, especially during the summer with all the people who have seasonal cottages," Wilson said.
Oxford hasn't been to the used book library in a while, though she used to sift through the magazines that people leave on a table in the alcove, usually with the addresses neatly cut from the bottom of the cover. But as she scanned the rows and rows of books looking for reading list books, she happened upon a number that she might want to read herself.
"I think it's a great idea. I'm totally for it," she said, grabbing "All Things Bright and Beautiful," a book list selection by James Herriot.
There is no organization to the books - Wilson just puts them on the shelves as he gets them. If he sees a book that's been sitting for months, he'll toss it in with the newspapers to be recycled.
The result of the random placement of books on the shelves is a disjointed jumble of paperbacks and hardcovers that couldn't be more different. The Tolkien trilogy shares shelf space with Peter Maas's "Serpico," while Danielle Steel's "Season of Passion" stands next to "Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht.
It took Oxford a while to sort through all the titles and after she was through she entertained the idea of alphabetizing the books in her spare time.
"I might make it my mission to organize these by the author's last name," she joked.
The newer books generally get snapped up quickly, as do the current magazines. But if you look hard, there are still a few gems that haven't been passed over.
It is unlikely that the Harlequin Romance novels, which line the shelves in great volume, will ever move from their spots, but they make for an eclectic collection.
The slim tomes' titles - "The Marquis Takes a Wife," "To Catch a Unicorn" and "Man of Ice" to name a few - make more than a couple browsers chuckle.
Many people also drop off used textbooks, which Bob Ryan, an Owasco resident, uses to broaden his general knowledge.
"I'll pick up something that piques my interest and then I'll bring it back the next week," said Ryan, who comes to the recycling center about every other week.
Some in Owasco want their private book repository to remain a secret so that the selection won't be thinned by non-residents.
But the chances that poachers will come to the Owasco dump for their books are slim. And even if they do, Wilson and his crew know the regulars and are pretty strict with regard to the recycling center's rules.
Wilson is hoping to expand the facility so that there will be a proper book section able to accommodate more titles. The new space will also hold used furniture and will operate in the same way as the book library does now.
This unlikely social setting, at the confluence of trash and treasures, brings people together and its something that Wilson wants to continue.
"The main thing is that you see your neighbors," he said. "People just talk to each other."
Staff Writer Lauren Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext 245 or lauren.ober@lee.net
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