Used books, real impact: a Beebe bookstore giving it all back

In this segment of The Pulse of the Eastern Townships, host William Crooks travels to Beebe to spotlight the Centre du livre déjà lu, a modest second-hand bookstore with a long-standing commitment to giving back to the local community. Operating for 23 years and staffed entirely by volunteers, the bookstore sells donated books at low prices and returns all proceeds directly to community organizations across the southern Eastern Townships.

Recorded on Dec. 20 inside the bookstore, the segment features an in-depth conversation with longtime organizer Raymond Fluet, along with volunteers Jim Thompson, Jennifer Thompson and Betty Hall. Fluet explains how the bookstore began as a Boundary Rotary Club fundraising project, how it transitioned to an independent operation as Rotary membership declined, and why the mission of local reinvestment has remained unchanged.

Listeners learn how the bookstore operates day to day, from accepting book donations and organizing inventory to opening twice a month year-round. The segment also explores which types of books are most in demand, how often funds are distributed, and how sales — typically just a few dollars per book — add up to meaningful financial support for food banks, seniors’ residences, schools, camps, medical foundations and other local services.

With more than $20,000 generated in recent years alone, the Centre du livre déjà lu offers a clear example of grassroots civic engagement at work. The segment highlights how volunteer labour, community trust and a simple model can create sustained local impact without public funding or commercial backing.