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Providing Christian Literature to Areas of Need
Partnership Projects
We hope this new project will
encourage Christian reading
and provide resources to churches
and Christian workers overseas.
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the relevant topics...
Introduction
We are looking at a new venture to help promote the very
best in Christian reading and to supply much needed
resources to churches and Christian workers overseas.
Though India has been a prime
focus, there is no reason this could not be developed
elsewhere. The main criteria are an established need for
books from Australia combined with the capability (resources
including computer and literacy skills) to undertake such a
project.
The idea is that
BookAid (Australia) will supply
books and Bibles to specific organisations overseas in
exchange for cataloguing services. This exchange of services
for books will assist both
Christian Books Australia and the recipients of the free
literature.
We foresee those receiving literature helping further with
the distribution of books and Bibles to others in their home
country. We anticipate, God willing, to develop a series of
collaborative projects with different churches and missions
overseas.
Central to this idea is control
and ownership of literature evangelism by the recipient
organization. Our role at BookAid
(Australia) and
Christian Books Australia is to facilitate and serve.
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What
is the purpose of a literature ministry?
Determining the purpose of a literature ministry will
largely determine what kind of books should be supplied to
meet this need.
In Sydney where I am based, Christian literature work is
dominated by Koorong and Word bookstores. These two mega
stores reflect the current Christian book market, replete
with a high degree of light, non doctrinal Christian reading
mixed with superficial entertainment style material with a
heavy bent towards self help. Just as our worship has become
man centred rather than God centred so our reading reflects
the same bent.
Do we really want to foist this type of literature with all
our western cultural baggage on new converts overseas? I
think not. Next to the word of God, ten minutes spent with a
good puritan work that directs us back again to the word of
God is of inestimable more worth than many of the books
advertised in the glossy Christian catalogues.
I believe we need to make sure that churches, bookshops and
workers have these at hand to help new Christians.
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Description of the New
Work
To set up a distribution network in India for secondhand
Christian books and Bibles financed by internet sales of
books from Australia.
The funding of participating
organizations and churches will be undertaken from the
proceeds of cataloguing and processing internet selling
books.
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Our Aims
• To increase the availability of Christian books and Bibles
in areas of need overseas
• To empower churches in areas of need meet literature needs
• To increase the competitive ability of Christian
booksellers in the international web based book market
• For churches to raise funds to finance other projects
• To offer employment
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Overview
This is intended as a collaborative project between a number
of churches overseas
and
Christian Books Australia.
We are proposing to place regular
advertisements in Christian publications as well as
undertake direct marketing to churches in the main cities.
The aim will be to collect
Christian literature in two main categories:
1. Books to be catalogued for resale in the Australian,
American and UK markets.
2. Books for churches, bookshops and Christian workers in
India
With each shipment we eventually
aim to send the equivalent of a container of books to
various parts of India. Volunteers in India will be
responsible for cataloguing books in section one and will
undertake responsibility for distributing books in section
two.
Our aim will be to ensure that
shipping and administrative costs are covered by the
eventual proceeds from the sale of section one books.
Remuneration for workers in India will come from the
distribution of books in Section 2.
Our aim is to recruit a number of
churches to participate in this project and to see the model
replicated in a number of areas.
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Donated books that are not shipped will be given a market valuation
and the equivalent value either in books will be made available to
the target country of the campaign.
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The books will be sorted according to price and condition in
Australia and then shipped to India in a container.
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Books will be given a coding according to price and doctrinal
content
For
small consignments we will use standard size shipping boxes measuring
350 (h) x 350 (w) x 400 (l) and each will contain approx 75 – 100 books
weighing between 17 – 22 kg.
In
India the books will be catalogued box by box by teams of workers.
Data
entry is one of the most time consuming tasks of a bookseller. The work
of cataloguing has been considerably assisted by programs that search
the web automatically for data. It is proposed that Bookhound and
Readerware be the principal cataloguing tools. In addition cataloguers
will have access to our database of previously catalogued material.
In an
age where the Internet is increasingly dominating bookselling and this
in turn has seen the rise of mega sellers in markets with ABE and
AMAZON, the need to increase competitive ability of bookselling has
become imperative. Indeed the hope is that with careful sorting and
cataloguing, we can further improve the availability of good books to
the Christian populace.
In
India we will need storage facilities that are clean and dry. Careful
packing and storage can minimize the effects of excessive heat and
potential insect and rodent damage, however vigilance will need to be
maintained in ensuring books are kept free from damage.
Books
need also to be handled correctly and some guidance will be required in
this respect.
Instruction on cataloguing can be undertaken via the training manual for
Bookhound. I hope to supply specific guidance and written instructions,
so that descriptions meet the standard currently set by Christian Books
Australia.
Some
book repair may be required, though this will be very limited. If any
interested workers are interested in developing these skills, then we
could look at some basic training and supplying books to this end.
Cleaning and basic repairs of modern books and Bibles can be undertaken
fairly easily.
On
completion of cataloguing, each item is photographed and the price,
individual book ID and author classification entered on a slip of white
paper in the front of each book. The digital photo is finally edited or
cropped and the jpg or ipg file renamed according to the book ID.
It
should be possible for a worker to process up to 100 items per day
A Bookhound file of completed catalogued items is then sent with the
photo file back to Australia.
Materials from dispatching goods can be used for the return of those
books coming back to Australia..
Christian Books Australia is a commercial organization. We aim to be
self-supporting and our overall aim is to build up the availability of
Reformed material.
It is expected that the host church in India will be responsible for
payment and conditions of individual workers. Workers will not be
employed or contracted to
Christian Books Australia.
Christian Books Australia will be responsible for the shipping costs
to India. In turn, return shipping costs from India will be met by the
host organization and it may be best to keep this arrangement on this
basis. Book Aid (Australia) was of
charitable status to 2006 but its charitable status was discontinued due
to lack of resources.
We will still be looking to churches to support this work, if not
financially with sponsorships, then with collection and donation of
material.
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How to Start
I suggest that anyone interested in participating in this project begin
in a small way in order to establish best practice procedures and
determine whether or not they are suited to this work.
The requirements needed to undertake this work include:
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Capital outlay which should be minimal
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Computer / Internet access – at least Windows 98
We will provide software access. This will include the licence to
operate Bookhound with relevant keys. If desired we will also supply
Readerware software and a Bar Code reader should cataloguers reach
that level of proficiency for downloading.
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Personal computers will not be supplied, nor will be the cost of
access to the internet. I think that these are better sourced
through the home organization.
Christian Books Australia will meet 50% of the return shipping costs
or 100% if return shipping costs are less than outward freight charges
(port to port). The reason for this is to encourage most economical
freight charges.
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Qualifications
required for Cataloguing
Christian Books Australia will liaise with individual churches and
bona fide organizations. We will not liaise direct with individuals. Any
agreements must be with such groups.
It will be the responsibility of the church or organization to recruit
and select individuals to undertake such work. In addition pay scales to
these individuals will be the responsibility of the host church or
organization.
If the church or organization is able to fund other outreach activities
through this work this will be a bonus.
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Payment and Remuneration
As far as possible we would like to encourage an exchange of books in
return for books catalogued. In this respect payment will be initially
50% of the book exchange rate.
It should be expected that at least 100 books can be catalogued per day.
Indeed with the ISBN search and cloning feature on Bookhound this could
increase to 150 or perhaps 200 per day.
In Australia
Christian Books Australia makes an exchange payment to cataloguers
at the rate of $1.00 per book.
We are happy to offer the following rates:
$2.00 per Book Catalogued in exchange for pre packed books. (We offer
boxes of books of general evangelical nature in pre packed boxes.
Usually each box has 150 + titles including tracts, and each box retails
at $80.00 including shipping)
$1.00 / Book Catalogued in exchange for books bought at the choice of
the customer direct from our Web Site.
$0.50 / Book if cash payment is to be made
As the process progresses we are happy to review these rates. This could
include a profit sharing scheme so that on sale a further payment can be
made to the cataloguer.
On return of the catalogued books, books will be offered for sale
through our own web site and ABE. We may advertise that these books were
catalogued in India and indeed would like to see this as a marketing
point.
On return each box will have a retail value of approximately $500. Costs
including return shipping will be approximately $150.00 per box and we
would not expect to see a return on this investment for at least three
years. This is an optimistic estimate as from experience with most book
sales it is unlikely more than 50% of books will sell at all.
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Future Expansion
We would like to see this model extended to a number of
countries. We believe it best uses the resources in
Australia (unused books) and the resources overseas
(people). It is a model which empowers believers to create
their own economic base from which publishing and other
bookselling activities can go forward.
Overall we are committed to the growth of reformed
publishing and the spread of such literature. Though there
may be value in much non reformed publishing the long term
strength of the church will be developed through adherence
to older and more contemporary writers holding this
position.
God willing, we will see funding going out to smaller
bookshops and churches to pursue this.
Christian Books Australia
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