[Culturechat] English Book Exchange of Lucerne
Peter Haggart
haggart@uidaho.edu
Tue, 22 Jan 2002 14:34:46 -0800
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Thanks for the information Barbara - we will bring along some books to leave
this summer
Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: Barbara Roy
To: Idyll Untours Culture Chat
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 10:05 AM
Subject: [Culturechat] English Book Exchange of Lucerne
This is a great time of year to stay indoors and
curl up with a good book. But, if you have ever
traveled or lived abroad from the US and searched
for books or magazines in English, you know they
are expensive with a mark-up of usually 35-50%.
If you live abroad and try to order from a US dot
com company, you end up paying duty and airmail
postage resulting in an even greater increase over
usual purchase price. That can really get
expensive if you are someone for whom reading is a
major hobby. One of the best resources for
anglo- bookophiles (I know this isn't a real word)
here in central Switzerland is the English Book
Exchange (EBE), Lucerne.
Now, in its 20th year of existence, the EBE, a very
loosely organized group of over 100 members who
likes to read books written in English, meets ten
times a year, for about an hour and a half, at
the Hotel Seeburg in Lucerne (bus no. 24 to
Meggen, bus stop "Seeburg" - ample car parking
space available). There is no obligation to
attend every meeting, you can stay a few minutes
or the full 90, you just turn up when you need and/or
want to donate books. There are thousands of
paperbacks (99.9%fiction) to choose from, and you
may borrow as many as you like for as long as you
like - within reason! There are also magazines and
children's books, and for a small rental fee
videos and DVDs. The cost of participation is
just 2 Swiss francs (about $1.20 US)-- each time you
attend - no membership fees. This sum covers the
cost of
sending out newsletters and any surplus goes
towards new books.
The "group" meets on the third Friday evening and
the third Thursday afternoon alternately each
month, with the exception of July and December
when there is no Book Exchange. It is not
compulsory to donate books but the group is
always grateful for new additions to the stock.
Likewise, magazines (not more than one year old)
and children's books are always welcome.
The group started out originally when a group of
ex-patriates in search of English books started
meeting in each others homes and exchanging books.
Eventually the library grew too large to be
portable. The hotel was then owned by an
Englishman, was frequented by British travelers,
and became the local group meeting place. Now,
the books are in boxes, drawers, and on shelves in
a hotel storage area next to an old bowling
alley!! Once a year, volunteer members spend an
entire day (I did it last July) alphabetizing the
books and take a nice long break having
lunch in the hotel dining room,
probably eating up any and all earned profit. A
Englishwoman who has lived in Switzerland with her
husband for over 20 years keeps the group going
and sends out a well written bi-monthly newsletter
via e-mail or regular mail to all interested parties.
Last Thursday, I showed up with about 15 paperbacks
to return or donate and ended up borrowing even
more. A sampling of my new prized possessions
include: "The Fifth Child" (Doors Lessing); "A
Sight for Sore Eyes" (Ruth Rendell); "The Blind
Assassin" (Margaret Atwood); "Morning, Noon,
&Night" (Sidney Sheldon); "Encore Provence" (Peter
Mayle) and "When We Were Orphans" (Kazuo
Ishiguro). The only question now is: where do I
start?
In addition to finding plenty to read, the best
part of the English Book Exchange for me, an
American living in Switzerland, has been the
opportunity to meet some very nice people and to
be part of the culture here. Living away from the
USA has its challenges, but it has many benefits
as well. As it stands now, I am enjoying and
appreciating reading more, paying less, and will
never again take for granted again having
unconditional access to good reading.
Happy reading to all!!
Barbara Roy
January 22, 2002
_______________________________________________
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Thanks for the information Barbara - =
we will=20
bring along some books to leave this summer</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Pete</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbroy@dplanet.ch href=3D"mailto:broy@dplanet.ch">Barbara =
Roy</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dculturechat@untours.com=20
href=3D"mailto:culturechat@untours.com">Idyll Untours Culture Chat</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, January 22, 2002 =
10:05=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Culturechat] English =
Book=20
Exchange of Lucerne</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>This is a great time of year to stay indoors =
and<BR>curl up=20
with a good book. But, if you have ever<BR>traveled or lived =
abroad from=20
the US and searched<BR>for books or magazines in English, you know =
they<BR>are=20
expensive with a mark-up of usually 35-50%.<BR>If you live abroad and =
try to=20
order from a US dot<BR>com company, you end up paying duty and=20
airmail<BR>postage resulting in an even greater increase over<BR>usual =
purchase price. That can really get<BR>expensive if you are someone =
for whom=20
reading is a<BR>major hobby. One of the best resources =
for<BR>anglo-=20
bookophiles (I know this isn't a real word)<BR>here in central =
Switzerland is=20
the English Book<BR>Exchange (EBE), Lucerne.<BR>Now, in its 20th year =
of=20
existence, the EBE, a very<BR>loosely organized group of over 100 =
members=20
who<BR>likes to read books written in English, meets ten<BR>times a =
year, for=20
about an hour and a half, at<BR>the Hotel Seeburg in Lucerne =
(bus no. 24=20
to<BR>Meggen, bus stop "Seeburg" - ample car parking<BR>space=20
available). There is no obligation to<BR>attend every =
meeting, you=20
can stay a few minutes<BR>or the full 90, you just turn up when you =
need=20
and/or<BR>want to donate books. There are thousands of<BR>paperbacks=20
(99.9%fiction) to choose from, and you<BR>may borrow as many as you =
like for=20
as long as you<BR>like - within reason! There are also magazines=20
and<BR>children's books, and for a small rental fee<BR>videos and =
DVDs. =20
The cost of participation is<BR>just 2 Swiss francs (about $1.20 US)-- =
each=20
time you<BR>attend - no membership fees. This sum covers the <BR>cost=20
of<BR>sending out newsletters and any surplus goes<BR>towards new=20
books.<BR>The "group" meets on the third Friday evening and<BR>the =
third=20
Thursday afternoon alternately each<BR>month, with the exception of =
July and=20
December<BR>when there is no Book Exchange. It is not<BR>compulsory to =
donate=20
books but the group is<BR>always grateful for new additions to the=20
stock.<BR>Likewise, magazines (not more than one year old)<BR>and =
children's=20
books are always welcome.<BR>The group started out originally when a =
group=20
of<BR>ex-patriates in search of English books started<BR>meeting in =
each=20
others homes and exchanging books.<BR>Eventually the library grew too =
large to=20
be<BR>portable. The hotel was then owned by an<BR>Englishman, =
was=20
frequented by British travelers,<BR>and became the local group meeting =
place. Now,<BR>the books are in boxes, drawers, and on shelves =
in<BR>a=20
hotel storage area next to an old bowling<BR>alley!! Once a =
year,=20
volunteer members spend an<BR>entire day (I did it last July) =
alphabetizing=20
the<BR>books and take a nice long break having<BR>lunch in the hotel =
dining=20
room,<BR>probably eating up any and all earned profit. =
A<BR>Englishwoman=20
who has lived in Switzerland with her<BR>husband for over 20 years =
keeps the=20
group going<BR>and sends out a well written bi-monthly =
newsletter<BR>via=20
e-mail or regular mail to all interested parties.<BR>Last Thursday, I =
showed=20
up with about 15 paperbacks<BR>to return or donate and ended up =
borrowing=20
even<BR>more. A sampling of my new prized =
possessions<BR>include: "The=20
Fifth Child" (Doors Lessing); "A<BR>Sight for Sore Eyes" (Ruth =
Rendell); "The=20
Blind<BR>Assassin" (Margaret Atwood); "Morning, Noon,<BR>&Night" =
(Sidney=20
Sheldon); "Encore Provence" (Peter<BR>Mayle) and "When We Were =
Orphans"=20
(Kazuo<BR>Ishiguro). The only question now is: where do=20
I<BR>start?<BR>In addition to finding plenty to read, the best<BR>part =
of the=20
English Book Exchange for me, an<BR>American living in Switzerland, =
has been=20
the<BR>opportunity to meet some very nice people and to<BR>be part of =
the=20
culture here. Living away from the<BR>USA has its challenges, =
but it has=20
many benefits<BR>as well. As it stands now, I am enjoying=20
and<BR>appreciating reading more, paying less, and will<BR>never again =
take=20
for granted again having<BR>unconditional access to good =
reading.<BR>Happy=20
reading to all!!<BR>Barbara Roy <BR>January 22,=20
=
2002<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>_____________=
__________________________________<BR>This=20
message was sent by Culturechat.<BR>To reply or send a new message, =
email=20
to:<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:Culturechat@untours.com">Culturechat@untours.com</A><BR><B=
R>Visit=20
the CultureChat archives:<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/culturechat/">http://mailman.dca=
.net/pipermail/culturechat/</A><BR><BR>To=20
unsubscribe, change to digest delivery, or <BR>temporarily pause =
delivery,=20
visit:<BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://mailman.dca.net/mailman/listinfo/culturechat">http://mailm=
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>
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