Written by Maggie Samples
The English department created a “blind date with a book” exchange to celebrate the Christmas season during dead week. It was the first time the department tried the event.
On Nov. 16, the English department asked students to collect books that they had enjoyed but were willing to exchange. The department has had a bookshelf with free books for several years, but those books are primarily academic. Magnlicmot, a social media manager for the English department, was inspired by Pinterest and a coffee shop that she had seen do a blind book exchange.
“I wanted people to use that bookshelf and enjoy the book that they got,” junior Jiana Manglicmot said. “We made sure that we were telling people to bring books that they love, that they’re willing to part with instead of just books that they wanted to get rid of. And we got so many books.”
The books were wrapped and included bookmarks, book stickers and tea bags that students brought along with their books for the exchange. Manglicmot said she intended to leave a steady flow of books on the free bookshelf, but the wrapped books have been unexpectedly popular.
“I didn’t think that there was going to be that many people paying attention or people wanting to grab books, but by the first day, we got rid of probably like 75 of the books, because people just kept wanting them and kept grabbing them,” Manglicmot said.
People have continued bringing books for the exchange to the English department, which have been wrapped and used to replenish the bookshelf. Manglicmot said that since the exchange has been so popular, she hopes to do a similar blind exchange for Valentine’s Day.
Sophomore Amelia Slater said having a blind book exchange was a great idea.
“I saw it on Instagram and I thought it was so cutie,” Slater said.
Junior Magdalene Pruitt said she enjoyed the exchange.
“Everyone wrapped the books and took such care in wrapping the books and it just made it fun to be a part of the English department,” Pruitt said.
