Where Did the Wall of Books on Greenwood Avenue Come From?

Editor's Note: All pictures and information courtesy of The Bookshop Blog; permission granted by Norah O'Neill. Story edited together by Lauren Williams.

Bethel residents may have noticed a more colorful sight outside the located at 81 Greenwood Ave.

A few months ago, owner Norah O'Neill saw that a cement retaining wall outside her business had be destroyed by the harsh winter.

"There were originally about 20 blocks in and I found five. There also had been a tree there, but it was taken down over the winter because it was rotted through the middle," O'Neill said. "So it is now even more likely this wall will be hit again.  So I decided to use something I have at my disposal: unsaleable paperbacks."

For two months, O'Neill collected and sorted several damaged books by color. "These were all ones that [had] missing pages, missing covers, smelt of mold, or were otherwise just so battered that they were headed for recycling anyway," she said.

While stacking them outside, O'Neill interlocked the damaged books like bricks, used a stone slab to square it up and added dirt behind the wall to hold it in firmly. Later she applied shellac to the front surface to waterproof it.

"The weight holds it all in place. I fully intend for the backs to rot out," O'Neill explained. "The 'dirt' in that section is really a lovely mix of road sand, salt, gasoline and cigarette butts. So the idea here being that it will hold some more water in the dirt (like a large papery sponge) and when it rots out, should add some nutrients."

If it does rot away or gets hit by a snow plow this upcoming winter, she said it may have to be rebuilt next year, which shouldn't be a problem by the amount of old books the Rainy Day Paperback Exchange receives. 

"Got a lot of positive comments while I was working on the wall itself and customers seem rather taken with it," O'Neill said. "The wall is just the right height to sit on. It makes it easy for people to remember where the store is: by the wall of books."