Binc’s Bookseller Stories: A Bedbug Infestation and No Way Out

The Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) continued its Bookseller Stories newsletter with the latest issue delivering on Thursday, July 18. The nonprofit organization launched this monthly series so donors could see the life-saving and life-changing impact they have on the lives of booksellers every day. In each story, booksellers give their account of how Binc helped them recover from a financial emergency. Binc provides financial assistance to booksellers experiencing an emergency or hardship caused by illness, natural disasters, and more. Read the latest volume of Bookseller Stories here:

The helpline continues to ring and e-mails are coming in every day from booksellers who are on the edge of crisis. Disaster season is here and with it comes earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. But not every natural disaster is a weather-related event. Some can be as tiny as a bedbug. The good news is because of you, Binc is here and ready to help.

Bedbugs. Just the thought is enough to make you itch and squirm. They can be picked up while traveling, brought in aboard used furniture, come hidden in purchased goods, or even travel from a neighboring apartment. These critters know no social or economic bounds and can set up residence in any home. However they arrive, the process of ridding them from your home is grueling and expensive.

A bookseller recently experienced such an infestation. They got rid of all of their upholstered furniture, replaced their mattress, and treated all of their belongings to no avail. The bookseller spent months trying to rid their apartment of the bugs, only to have them return — over and over again. It turned out that the whole building was infested. All appeals to the landlord were dismissed. The landlord refused to offer any assistance, stating that it was a “housekeeping problem,” not a “building maintenance” issue.

The bookseller’s only recourse was to move out, but they lacked the funds to do so. With their security deposit tied up as they tried to break their lease, and having to continue to pay rent and live in the infested apartment, they didn’t see a way out.

But their bookstore had a Binc poster prominently displayed, and the bookseller made the call for help. Because of you, Binc was able to help the bookseller pay the move-in expenses for a new apartment, where they can get back to a bedbug-free life.

Visit the Binc website to make a donation. Additional bookseller testimonials can be found on the Great Nonprofits review website.