Books 4 Life Amsterdam

Books 4 Life Amsterdam is now open! Our shop on the ground floor of the JoHo Center Amsterdam (Taksteeg 8, side-street of Kalverstraat and Rokin) boasts a varied assortment of books: novels (Dutch and English), travel guides, children's books, university textbooks, thrillers and lots, lots more.

The books are all good quality and very affordably priced at between 1 and 5 euros. By buying a book from Books 4 Life, you are also automatically supporting a good cause!

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Books 4 Life Amsterdam presents: LITERATUURTJE.nl

A monthly event with literature, society and you.

The theme of the opening meeting of LITERATUURTJE.nl:
‘Portrait of an idealist’.

Taking a critical look at ourselves, we invite you to join us in a discussion, introduced by a short film, a piece of literature and a guest speaker. This intellectual exchange will be complemented with music, drinks and snacks.

To end the discussion on a celebratory note, Howard Komproe will announce the winner of the writing competition, whose story will be Books 4 Life's gift to her customers during National Book Week.

Books4Life Amsterdam would like to welcome you at this event on Friday 11 March 2011 from 15.30 until 17.30 in our shop at Taksteeg 8 in the JOHO centre. Participation is free of charge.

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First year anniversary Books 4 Life Amsterdam and winner project election

Last Wednesday January 12th Books 4 Life Amsterdam celebrated it’s first anniversary. Half of the profit (over 1750 euros) of the book sales in 2010 was donated to the Patient Rehabilitation Project of the CO Foundation. They were elected by experts, customers and volunteers with 54% of the votes in an election which SIFE Leiden with Art for Income (31%) and Wanawa with the Zawadi Self Help Group (15%) also participated in.

This year project applicants can send in applications again, but the theme will have more to do with human rights than poverty reduction. Ideas about projects can already be send to books4life.amsterdam@gmail.com. The theme of 2010 was independent entrepreneurship, which would allow beneficiaries to generate their own income to benefit their families and communities.

CO Foundation applied for 4 stabilised or cured lepra, HIV/aids and TB patients. They are stigmatised in Nigeria, don’t have a chance for work which and have to beg to earn a living. However, they also have a family with healthy children to support, while their family and community rejects them. With the project donation, patients can start their own tailor workshop and their own source of income. This could serve as an example to other stigmatised patients.

More information about the project can be found in the project comparison with background information.


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Spread the word: Tell your colleagues, friends and family about Books 4 Life!


Opening Books 4 Life Amsterdam, 12 January 2010


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Books 4 Life Amsterdam looking for new volunteers!

Books 4 Life is now looking for new volunteers for the shop in Amsterdam:
4 to 8 hours per week with a co-volunteer in a charity
bookshop. For more information, come by the shop or send us an email!

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Donate books? Yes please!

What are we looking for? We are always grateful for donations of good quality books of all sorts and genres - novels, cookbooks, travel guides, children's books, etc.

Since our shop only has limited space and we are still looking for extra storage for books, we do not have room for the following books:
- books with torn pages or a damaged cover;
- former library books;
- text books more than 3 years old;
- informative / reference books (e.g. encyclopedias) more than 10 years old.

Where can you drop off your book donations? Books can be handed in at the JoHo Center during the opening times. These are also the opening times of Books 4 Life Amsterdam (see top right of the page).



Founding members of Books 4 Life Amsterdam:
Hugo, Aansan, Floor, Alix