Proceeds from sales will go to Al-Taif Orphans Association. The weeklong show started at the association on Monday.
The association’s affiliate and co-organizer, Mawakib Al-Ajr Society, is specialized not only in recycling papers but also opening booths for clothes, furniture, accessories, children’s toys and others. The society collects all second-hand goods from the public and sells them on with all proceeds going to Al-Taif Orphans Association.
Speaking about the exhibition, Abeer Abdul Aziz Al-Nuwaisir, who is in charge of Mawakib Al-Ajr, said they received over 150 visitors in the first two days of the event.
“It is surprising to know that the youth are actually interested and visiting the exhibition,” he said.
Al-Nuwaisir also explained that they have thousands of books that they receive from people and others which they find among the goods they receive to be recycled. “We get school books, some of them old valuable books, and books on different subjects,” he said.
The exhibition has different sections, including history, literature, children’s, religion, and English books. “Our goal is to reuse everything for reasonable prices,” said Al-Nuwaisir.
She added that they named their second-hand book library “Al-Wuwaq,” which loosely translates as “a person who reads a lot.”
The books, said Al-Nuwaisir, are on sale for an average of SR10. Some valuable books could be sold for up to SR200.
She explained that no exhibition for second hand books has been organized. “Normally all exhibitions are part of different events, mainly at hospitals, schools, universities and coffee shops. We want to be part of international second-hand books exhibitions.”
Majid Anbari, an engineer visiting the event, said though people are not reading books as much due to the popularity of the Internet, books still have their lovers.
“I buy books for personal use and also to give or lend them to others. This is an interesting initiative,” he added.
