Bulletin No. 1, 2015

8   Chinese University Bulletin No. 1, 2015 Finding New Homes for Old Books: Timing Bookstore ‘I f I’m not in some used bookstore, I must be on my way to one.’ The sentence written by a Taiwanese writer rightly captures the obsession of many bibliophiles. Used bookstores sell whatever books they get hold of. So, each of them has its unique selection, offering customers the pleasure of making serendipitous discoveries that cannot happen in big bookstore chains selling only bestsellers. A city is culturally impoverished without used bookstores. Those in Jimbocho, Tokyo and the ‘Bouquinistes’ along the banks of the Seine in Paris are fascinating attractions in their respective cities. In January 2015, Timing Bookstore started business on CUHK campus, giving old books a new life and enriching our cultural fabric. The story of Timing Bookstore started from the I  • CARE Book Festival in 2012. Close to 10,000 books donated by enthusiastic alumni, teachers, and students were on display in Sir Run Run Shaw Hall. To facilitate the circulation of books and knowledge, student s and staf f were encouraged to read and take home their favourite books. This hugely popular activity was held for a few days only, which prompted several students to ponder: Can we have this meaningful event every day to facilitate the flow of books among readers? After some door-knocking, the students, including Lee Tsz-ming , a graduate of the Department of Japanese Studies, and Lee Ting-hin , Year 1 student of Social Science, won the S.H. Ho College’s Young Entrepreneur Programme and were given a 30 sq. m. indoor space on the ground floor of Chan Chun Ha Hall on campus to run the bookstore. The I  • CARE programme also provided them with funding which endows them with the freedom to explore possibilities. Though small, the place is clean and