The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Paper Shred Day attendance a cut above previous years
It only took about a half-hour April 15 for participation in Mentor Public Library’s Seventh Annual Community Paper Shred Day to eclipse last years.
With about 200 cars full of documents to be shredded proceeding through the drive-through style drop-off by as early as 9:30 a.m., the event continued its growth trend, which has been happening year after year, said Jason Lea, the library’s community outreach coordinator in an April 13 phone interview.
“It grows year after year,” he said. “We quit counting after 200 cars last year.”
The free service was available April 15 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to Mentor residents and library patrons. People could drop off as many as five document-storage
boxes or bags of paper.
All documents are loaded into locked bins on a secure truck, which is attended at all times by staff members from Xpress Shredding, with which the Mentor Public Library has partnered to present this well-attended event.
After the last documents have been loaded onto the truck, it took them to the company’s secure facility where the documents are shredded and the shredded paper recycled.
Lea said he and other organizers appreciate the company’s support over the years immensely, adding that, although the library has a shredder to use, it runs on a diesel engine and “we like to be respectful of our neighbors,” so it’s not suitable to use for Shred Day.
“We can’t thank (Xpress Shredding) enough,” Lea said. “Obviously, it’s not our equipment with which we shred. So this wouldn’t even be happening if they weren’t so fantastic.”
One Mentor resident who partook in the event seemed to think it was pretty awesome that the library offers it to the community.
“Oh, I think it’s wonderful,” said Donna Crock, who said she had years worth of old tax returns she’d been meaning to banish from her filing cabinet; and Shred Day provided the perfect opportunity to do it securely.
“I was cleaning out, like, 20 years worth of stuff in my filing cabinet and I thought: ‘What am I doing with all this?’ ” Crock said.
She said she doubts she’ll accumulate enough paperwork between now and next year’s Shred Day to take advantage of it again, “but if I can, I will,” and added that she’d recommend it to anyone looking to rid themselves of excess document baggage.
“Everyone should take advantage of it,” she said.
And, as mentioned earlier, lots of people did.
“It’s bigger than ever,” said Sue Fram, the Mentor Public Library executive assistant who puts together much of the event, adding that the feedback she and other organizers receive from the community members who take advantage of it is consistent with Crock’s comments.
“They say: ‘Oh, this is a wonderful event. Thank you so much for doing this. We love the library and thanks for being here today,’ ” Fram said during the event.
Lea said Shred Day is always held on the Saturday of National Library Week, during which Mentor Public Library
organizes numerous special events. And rarely does the year go by without inquiries into Shred Day from library patrons flush with paperwork they’d like to shed by way of the shredder.
“The conversation I usually have is: ‘Thanks for having this. When’s the next one?’ ” Lea said, adding that its popularity is evident simply judging by how many folks ask about it.
“We know it’s a vital event, because people ask about it all year round,” he said, adding that it fits right in with the library’s mission to not only be about books, but to also offer services for the community.
Following Shred Day and, in keeping with the recognition of National Library Week, award-winning and best-selling novelist, journalist and essayist Thrity Umrigar headlined Mentor Public Library’s week of celebration with a special talk at 1 p.m. at the library’s Main Branch, 8215 Mentor Ave.