The Maricopa County (Ariz.) Southeast Regional Library in Gilbert received 15,000 nearly useless books in late April from the Lebanon, Tennessee–based Cracker Barrel chain of restaurants. The gift was the result of Cracker Barrel’s Neighborhood Book Drive, in which winners received a trip to the Country Music Association awards plus a donation in their names of 10,000 books to a library of their choice. The company sent similarly worthless gifts to public libraries in Columbus, Indiana, and Gadsden, Alabama, along with several other libraries around the country, according to the May 3 Phoenix Arizona Republic.
The Arizona library’s gift contained 11,000 copies of a 1960s-vintage preschool book titled What Would Happen If, 1,000 copies of Quick and Easy Pasta, and 200 copies of How to Use Microsoft Windows 95, among others. Cracker Barrel spokesperson Jennifer Presley said that the firm was as surprised as the library and that company representatives had not reviewed the books before completing the donation.
Cracker Barrel apologized for the disappointing gift, sent the library $1,000, and promised to pay for disposal of the books, which have been sitting on the library’s loading dock since their delivery.
Posted May 8, 2000.