A Day in the Life of the Brooklyn Book Bodega: The Book Hub
By: Katherine Pantazis
Volunteers Richard Ilfraim from Queens and Andrew Del Pilar from Harlem stamp and sort used books.
Islands of boxes cover the concrete floor of the Brooklyn Book Bodega Book Hub, a bright, high-ceilinged space at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Shelves line the walls. Books are absolutely everywhere, but it’s clear the room is organized and it hums along like a colorful machine. Volunteers work among the tables and boxes in small groups, stamping, sorting, shelving, looking through books, packing bags, chatting, and laughing. Nineties tunes are playing in the background. Most days all of it is under the direction of Cecilia Golombek, Program and Volunteer Coordinator, though Seema Aghera, COO & Cofounder, jumps in to supervise when the need arises.
Friends Kaitlin Alm, Kailey Burgess, and Katie Maraghy work hard and have fun on their volunteering days.
In the middle of the room, Seema shows two new volunteers how to stamp and sort books that were donated in the Bodega donation bin. In just one week the bin has been filled to the top by people coming to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for the purpose of donating.
Sometimes it takes a little while to get used to sorting books by age group. “I’m thinking about my nephew,” says volunteer Richard Ilfraim. “If he would like this, it goes there. He just turned five on New Year's Eve.” Some of the books, he says, are clearly for teenagers. Eventually all the volunteers—even those without a literary background or a lot of time around kids—get the hang of sorting books quickly.
Experienced volunteer Christine Gallo brought along her friend Patricia McSharry to help her reorganize the bookshelves. The Book Hub space has evolved along with the Bodega.
Many volunteers mentioned they like thinking about the kids who will be getting the books, even if they don’t interact with readers directly. “My favorite thing is packing orders because they'll need 500 books for this age range and they'll give some slight parameters, and I have the ability to be like, what do I want these kids to read?” says volunteer Kaitlin Alm. “I really take the time to be like, hey, if I was 9 years old, would I be interested in reading this?” Kaitlin’s friend Kailey Burgess recalls, ”We were doing the younger kids’ books and there were so many that I didn't recognize—I saw so many diverse faces, which I thought was great. It was really fun to see some of them I definitely do recognize, and I kind of love that this is still in print and kids still like it.” As a bonus, volunteers can take home books from the Book Hub for free! According to Kaitlin, “It's always an adventure what you're gonna find!”
Kristin and Kailey brought along their friend Katie Maraghy, a first-time Bodega volunteer. Katie says that working from home during the pandemic gave her and Kristin the time to rediscover their love of reading and to find the time to volunteer. The Bodega seemed like a perfect fit. ”We all come from a TV/media background, so it's a nice way to hang out and also help out,” she says. The three of them are packing a 2,500 book order into tote bags for a Blue Cross/Blue Shield event.
Volunteers Christine Gallo and Patricia McSharry have been friends for over 40 years. “I do it as much for me,” says Patricia. “I like this place; I like what they do; I like their mission. It's kinda cool that I can hang out with my friend.”
Christine has a background in children’s publishing, so when she had free time early in the pandemic, she started volunteering and has become a mentor to other volunteers. Some volunteers are taking this time to reflect and look for new career opportunities. Many hope that the evolution toward more flexible working arrangements will allow them to continue volunteering into the future. “I’ve been asking,” says one, “I’m gonna want Friday mornings to volunteer if possible.”
Sign painter Olive Panter checked out photos of the Book Hub space online in order to make a custom message. “I wanted to do something, and I don’t want to be up at my easel, so I just started cutting out these letters and I wound up making a temporary sign in a different way, for the space,” she says. “I just love it!” says Seema.
Volunteers come from an array of industries from Art to Tech. ”It’s kind of nice to get out of your regular workspace and do something different,” says Alaina Mauro, who works in publishing. ”So much of my life is providing books to children—and just to do it in a different way is sort of nice.”
The Book Hub has evolved from humble beginnings in a mezzanine space at the Navy Yard. “I think when I started there were no shelves, in this space there were no tables,” recalls Christine. “It’s been really interesting to see it transform from a warehouse of boxes to a working space.”
Seema remembers the early days of 2020. “People were sitting on the floor helping and they were like, ‘This is great. We don’t care that we have to sit on the floor.’ It would make me cry because you're trying to start something in the middle of the pandemic, and people just were so helpful. They weren’t seeing the direct impact on others; they had just maybe themselves been impacted and felt that the work was needed. I think back and I’m like, how did we do it?”
The generosity of the community is apparent all over the Book Hub. The tables were donated by a Zocdoc office. The large curtain that forms one wall was donated by Materials for the Arts. Around midmorning, local artist Olive Panter drops by to deliver a poster she volunteered to make for the Bodega. As an amazing bonus, she had made letters saying “KIDS + BOOKS = POWER,” which now hang above the windows, welcoming everyone as they walk in the door. ”I'm from here,” Olive says. “Books built me. I work with language now; I wouldn’t be a sign painter if it wasn’t for all the books.”
Katherine Pantazis is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn. She has also worked as an early childhood educator and attorney. When she isn’t reading, she might be in an art museum or playing outside with her kids.