Sudbury's Laurence Steven giving away his book collection

Morning North7:41Scrivener Press up for sale

Sudbury's Scrivener Press has been publishing since 1995. The business is up for sale now that owner Laurence Steven is retiring. He spoke to the CBC's Markus Schwabe about the business of being a small publisher.

Sudbury's Laurence Steven is having a big year not only is he retiring, he's moving south.

Steven worked as an English professor at Laurentian University since 1983, and also worked for 20 years as the publisher and owner of Scrivener Press.

Over the years, he's accumulated a large number of booksas part of his personal and professional library.

"It's the kind of thing that English professors collect," he said.

"I have a full room full of books and I would say between the books I have at the university and the books I have here, it's probably in the neighbourhood of 4,000 books."

To downsize before the move, Steven said he's inviting colleagues, students and friends to have a look, and take a book or two if they wish.

Steven admits parting with the books is a bit painful, but added his wife 'is jumping for joy' with the giveaway.

Still, he said he's glad to be making his collection a bit smaller.

"I'd far rather see people take these who might actually read them [or] use them," he said.

Morning North7:59Sudbury professor giving away his book collection

Imagine having access to someone's special book collection, getting to pick through it and taking what you want. Laurence Steven, a Sudbury professor and publisher is downsizing his massive collection. Markus Schwabe went to check it out.