Photo by Paul Keleher on flickr

The holiday season and Christmas in particular see a strange marriage of consumerism and charity—that brighter side of humanity that compels us to selflessly give to others is paired with ruthless gift-buying missions where we dodge and weave through panicked crowds, like a running back saddled with shopping bags. We rack up debt on our credit cards, thinking nothing of it. It feels pretty good.

With the promise of receiving many gifts in return, this headlong rush into the temples of consumer culture hardly looks like the selfless goodwill to all mankind, but a few bookstores around Austin are offering the opportunity to participate in the truly noble exercise of helping the needy and downtrodden this season.

BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar

Following Shel Silverstein's advice, this bastion of independent thought has set up the "Giving Tree." Hanging from its branches are tags for books that the Inside Books Project and Austin Public Library could use. Customers can snag a tag, bring it to the registers, add it to their bill, and sleep tight knowing they've helped brighten someone's day.

The BookPeeps are also having a special children's storytime on Saturday, December 15 at 11:30 am, entitled Tis the Season for Giving. The storytime features the jolly red-suited fat man himself, plus a reading of Silverstein's classic story along with other appropriately heartwarming tales. Attendees are asked to give by bringing a can of food for the Capital Area Food Bank.

BookPeople has also invited charities like GirlStart, Central Texas SPCA, ACLU of Texas, and many others to do gift wrapping at the front of their store. For a donation (big or small) you can avoid the trauma of scotch-tape disasters and crazy-looking wrap jobs.

Barnes & Noble, everywhere

Behemoth booksellers Barnes & Noble, dwarfed only by the mighty waters of the Amazon, conduct charity book drives every year between November 1st and January 1st. B&N's Sunset Valley location in particular will be collecting books for The Women’s Storybook Project and Helping Hand Home.

The Inside Books Project, Rhizome Collective

The Inside Books Project sends books and literature to prisoners in the state of Texas. If just buying a book off BookPeople's Giving Tree doesn't satisfy that philanthropic urge, try volunteering here. They need volunteers to participate in processing requests, replying to letters, sending packages of books, etc. Come on down to a Volunteer Night and lend them a helping hand. Thursdays, 6-10pm; Sundays, 7pm-12mid. Give 'em a call at 385-3695

Donations and books can be taken or mailed to:

IBP, c/o 12th St. Books
827 W. 12th St.
Austin, TX 78701

BookWoman, 918 West 12th Street

As we have reported, this feminist institution qualifies for classification as truly needy and downtrodden at the moment. A perfect storm of business setbacks have left them twisting in the wind and in dire need of a cash infusion to keep the doors open. They have raised over $30,000 of the $50,000 they need to secure a new and less expensive location, but without the other $20,000, the only feminist bookstore in Texas will close. Doing any of your holiday shopping there will help save this Austin original. If you are feeling even more charitable, they are accepting donations as well.