Hundreds of books inside a Dumpster at Intermediate School 73 in Queens.Hundreds of new or slightly used books were tossed into a Dumpster outside of a Queens middle school early Friday, outraging staff members who can't believe the waste.
Several garbage bags filled with copies of classic literature like "Little Women," "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and "Treasure Island" were discarded in a Dumpster alongside Intermediate School 73 in Maspeth.
"Those books, you open them up, they still crack, they're so new," one staffer said. "Why not give them away or hold a book drive at least?"
The hardcover books, including "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" and "Kidnapped," appeared new or slightly used, but were nonetheless stuffed into black garbage bags and thrown into the trash.
Some parents were upset that good books would be squandered.
"I think even with the books that get updated, they should still be given to the library," said parent Rosa Collado.
Education officials are investigating why the school would throw out good books.
Principal Patricia Reynolds, who was at a conference this week, told a schools spokeswoman one book room had to be cleaned out because of mold, but it does not appear that the nearly new books came from there.
The Department of Education has a protocol for disposing of textbooks called the Book BuyBack Program, under which schools can essentially sell back unneeded books to a company that removes and recycles those of no value.
The tomes outside of IS 73, though, may not have been accepted under the program because they are novels, not traditional textbooks, but staff could have donated the books.
"It's not very efficient," one teacher said.
PTA Treasurer Patti Schick said she would look into the matter but couldn't believe the school would purposefully dispose of good books.
"I'm sure there was a logical reason. They wouldn't just toss them," she said. "There's got to be a good reason."
