By: Shannon Fleming and Sean Wetselaar
Twice a year the hallowed halls of the Uxbridge Public Library are graced by the presence of one of the library’s biggest events of the year. Not only is the Friends of the Library Book Sale a great opportunity for the library to make some extra money, it’s a gathering of like-minded individuals that creates a feeling of unity within the town. The most recent book sale took place this past weekend, from October 30 to November 2.
Saturday morning found line-ups of eager book hunters waiting outside both library entrances, as early as 9:15 a.m., and the customers continued to pile through the doors throughout the day. At the time of writing this column, the exact amount of money made through the sale is not known; however, the sale itself is a great generator of income for the library.
But the book sale is not as simple to organise as it is to peruse. We at the library begin to amass donations for the sale months in advance, and we are never short of items to sell. The boxes pile up in the staff room, and the Friends of the Library must sort through every single book, with the assistance of student volunteers.
Transforming the meeting room into a usable site for the book sale takes several days of preparation, and even the process of moving books down the hallway can be a daunting task. But the library’s book sale is more than just a sale. It’s an event that many members of the community look forward to throughout the year. It brings the community together, and it contributes to arguably one of the most important institutions of the town: the library.
What’s Happening: On the P.A. Day (November 19), the library will be hosting a Harry Potter-themed event for kids grades 3–7. Also, a retirement party is going to be held at the library for long-time staff member Ruth Street on November 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information on what’s happening at the library, come pick up a newsletter at one of the circulation desks.
What’s New: Thanks to a generous contribution by the Friends of the Library, the library is now in possession of $2,000 worth of British classic DVDS, including Fawlty Towers, Hamish Macbeth, and the complete Sherlock Holmes series, starring Jeremy Brett.