The hallways at Clearspring Centre in Steinbach are once again filled with books as the Bethesda Regional Health Care Auxiliary is hosting its annual fall Book Faire.

Chair Phyllis Toews says it is absolutely phenomenal to see the number of books that have been donated by the community.

"The books are new, many of them we wonder if they have even been read and if they have been read, they've been treated very, very well," says Toews.

Toews explains the Auxiliary has three projects on the go this year. The first, which has already been paid off is the Hospital Chart Project. At present, each department in the hospital has its own chart form. Toews says this can lead to inefficiencies when patients are transferred from one ward to another. This new system will allow standardization of charts and easier reading and moving forward in the treatment of the patient. The cost of this project was $15,000.

The second project being funded is a surgery/ obstetrics specialty mattress. These mattresses are used for the comfort and better treatment of the patients on both the Surgery and Obstetric Wards providing better healing and comfort. These mattresses are better for the back and also enhance patient care and help prevent caregiver injury. The mattress costs $9,000.

And the final project involves buying two Bilisoft blankets for Obstetrics. The blankets cost $8,000 each. This helps care for jaundiced babies that are wrapped in these blankets. It is a portable phototherapy device for the treatment of neonatal jaundice. This equipment is designed to allow positioning and swaddling and other direct contact with the baby.

The Auxiliary runs two Book Faires each year. Toews notes the spring sale is the larger of the two and typically generates about $15,000. The fall sale offers fewer books and usually brings in between $9,000-$12,000. But Toews says they don't set a goal.

Meanwhile, Toews says this is her 19th Book Faire and she says it is time for somebody else to coordinate the sale. She notes they are looking for a new coordinator. Toews says Tuesday alone she walked six miles in the mall as part of setup for the Faire. Toews notes there is a core of 15-20 volunteers that helps out every Tuesday and then for the sale itself they rely on about 75 volunteers.