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Arts & Entertainment

Pequot Library 51st Annual Book Sale

Pequot Library’s 51st Annual Book Sale Set for July 22th - July 26th

 

* All proceeds go to benefit one of the great small libraries in New England

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Enables it to serve the entire region

 

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*One of the biggest, best book sales in the region

Over 140,000 books and more than 50 categories along with CDs, tapes, LPs, and more

 

*Young Readers Day on Sunday, July 24th

A family event encouraging a life-long love of reading and learning in children. Concert at 1:00 p.m. by Mary Ann Hall Family Singers

 

*A great volunteer opportunity

Serve throughout the year or just on the days of the sale

 

*Donations of books and other materials accept throughout the year

Easy to use drive-up drop-off bins. Donations are tax deductible

 

*    *    *

 

Now in its 51st year, the Pequot Library Book Sale is better than ever, and will be held between July 23 and Jul 26.  With all the debate about e-books and digital content, there is still nothing in New England like the Pequot Library Summer Sale.  It brings book lovers from all over the country and offers them the widest selection of great books at really great price.  Throw in the fun of meeting old and new friends, the great food, and the joy of finding a real treasure, and all the ingredients for a wonderful experience are in place. 

 

Books and More for Sale

The Pequot Library Book Sale is one of the biggest and one of the best book anywhere, with over 140,000 books to choose from - all at great prices.  There is a wide range as well: children’s books, current fiction, classic literature, gardening and nature, history, mystery, science, science fiction, Connecticut and New England, sports, travel, crafts and hobbies, health, music, performing arts, art and architecture, biography, and many more. 

 

The Pequot Library Book Sale is about more than just books. Under the direction of Lee Freeman and Paige Gillies, there are high quality, very collectible LPs, 45's, CDs, DVDs, and tapes. “This part of the book sale is growing dramatically and drawing in a whole new clientele to the Book Sale,” said Freeman. This section also includes a large selection of audio books, as well as vintage sheet music.   

 

Young Reader’s Day

A new tradition associated with the Book Sale is the Young Readers’ Day on Sunday, July 24th which is intended to bring children and their families to the Sale in support of the Library’s joint mission to help children become life-long readers and to be a place where grandparents, parents, and children can come together. There will be a crafts, music and programs and, as a special bonus, all children who come dressed as their favorite storybook animal on Young Readers’ Day will receive a coupon for a free book in the children’s area.  There will be crafts and face-painting as well. In addition, Young Readers’ Day will also feature a children’s concert at 1:00 p.m.

 

Books for Teachers

One of the most meaningful aspects of the Book Sale is the Books for Teachers program.  Over the past several years, through the generosity of the Renée B. Fisher Foundation, Pequot Library has offered vouchers for up to $100 to teachers in the Bridgeport and New Haven school systems. Peoples United Bank is also a sponsor this year.  With these vouchers, teachers can purchase an extraordinary quantity of books for their classroom or their personal libraries.

 

These books are an invaluable resource for the teachers. One teacher wrote, “It is very difficult to get books for our libraries unless we buy them ourselves. This program really helps our teachers.” Another echoed that same theme when they wrote, “It has helped my reading program immensely.” Finally, another teacher summed it up when she wrote, “This is for Books for Teachers, but really they're for the kids!!"

 

“This is an innovative, high impact, and meaningful example of charitable giving.  All agree that education is the key for solving the problems of under-served populations, but without books to inform and light the lamp of curiosity in students, our teachers and students are handicapped. 

 

Donations of Books and Other Material for the Sale

All these books and other materials are donated to the library by countless individuals who come in a constant stream throughout the year to unload their bags and boxes of books into the receiving bins in the shed on the library driveway.  Their thoughtful, tax deductible donations of the books they no longer need make possible this event which is the major fundraiser for the Library and helps ensure the Library can continue to provide the outstanding library services and programs the entire community has come to appreciate and depend on.

 

Pequot Library and the Community it Serves

The Book Sale is the biggest fund-raiser of the year at Pequot Library. The Library is a true treasure for all of Southern New England. It brings literature, music, art and learning into the community. It is a place where children are welcome and safe, and introduced to the magic of reading. It exemplifies what a great library should be. The Library serves the town of Fairfield, all the other towns in Fairfield County such as Westport, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and the entire region. The Library is one of Connecticut’s architectural gems and is the home of countless musical programs, lectures, and forums on a wide variety of topics.

 

The Book Sale is more than just a fundraiser for the library.  It also builds community.  It is one of those annual events that everyone knows about and looks forward to that are so important to sustaining the sense of community that is increasingly threatened in the fast paced world of today.  There are literally hundreds of volunteers that participate both on the day of the sale, and throughout the year as sorters and pricers.  It is as much a social event as a fundraiser.  It is a chance for old friends to catch up, for neighbors to spend time together in service of their Library, and it helps build a unique sense of place for everyone in Fairfield county.  It is also a way for the community to express its support for the Library and the outpouring of donated books and the hard work of the volunteers is a testimony to how important the library is for the entire region.

 

Volunteers

The Library’s volunteers are at the heart of it all.  The volunteers are led by Chair Ted Murena and Peter Ventriglia and they are assisted by members of the Book Sale Steering Committee: Llewelyn Almeida, Ruth Ann Baumgartner, Lee Freeman, Paige Gillies, Colin Green, Shelley Hall, Peg North, Linda Teja, and Stephanie Weaver.  The collective wisdom about what makes a good book for the sale is what really makes the Pequot Sale so special.  There are also the approximately 65 volunteers Sorters and Pricers who work day in and day throughout the year processing the donations and preparing them for the sale.  Finally, during the sale itself, these numbers swell when over 200 additional volunteers step forward to help with unpacking the books, serving at the check-out stations, and so much more.

 

According to Dan Snydacker, the Executive Director at Pequot Library, “our volunteers are a wonderful, dedicated group. They work so hard to support the library and their efforts are appreciate by everyone involved with the Library as well as all those we are able to serve at the Library over the course of the year.”  To volunteer for the booksale in any way, email booksale@pequotlibrary.org, or call the Library at 203-259-0346.

 

 

A Great Weekend Event for Fairfield County

The Book Sale is wonderful way to spend a summer weekend,” concludes Dan Snydacker.  “There is something for everyone - great books, great friends, a great cause in the Books For Teachers program, and great food provided this year by Café LuLu. We are all looking forward to another successful Pequot Library Book Sale. ” 

 

For more information on the Sale, or to volunteer at the event, email booksale@pequotlibrary.org, call the Library at 203-259-0346, or visit the Library’s website at www.pequotlibrary.org.

 

Friday, July 22th                   9 AM to 8 PM            All items double the marked price

Saturday, July 23th               9 AM to 5:30 PM       Items priced as marked

Sunday, July 24th                 9 AM to 5:30 PM       Items priced as marked

Monday, July 25th                9 AM to 8 PM            Items half off marked price

Tuesday, July 26th                9 AM to 2 PM            $5 a Bag Day

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