10-6-08
Walpole “Friends” Throw Giant Book and Tag Sale
By Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer
What do “Friends” do when their mutual friend happens to be a town library? They throw a giant annual book and tag sale to make possible the acquisition of new books, tapes and other needed library inventory!
And that’s exactly what the Friends of the Walpole Town Library are doing at the Walpole Town Hall at Westminster and Elm Streets, Saturday and Sunday, October 25 and 26, from 9:00 to 2:00 and 11:00 to 2:00 respectively.
“We raised almost $4,000 for the library last year—to be used in both the main library in Walpole and in its North Walpole Branch—and we hope to top that this year,” according to event chair Carol Christian for whom this will be the seventh annual book and tag sale. “And it’s not just books! We have audio and video tapes, CDs, old phonograph records—remember them?—and books on tape!”
“This year we happen to have been given two interesting—and historic—sets of Encyclopedia Britannica, the 9th and 14th editions. So there are some really unusual items here and there among the ocean of choices our customers will see!”
Carol Christian directs the volunteers sorting books in preparation for the Book & Tag sale on a recent Friday in Paul and Phyllis Olson's garage that has served as the organizing point for the sale.
In addition to the printed matter, there will be seven brimming tables of tag sale items sponsored by St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Women of Walpole, Debbie Robarge, Lyn Cooke and others. (While proceeds from rental of the Tag Sale tables will go into the kitty for the library, proceeds from their sales go to the renters of the tables, except for Lyn Cooke’s table that she is designating for the Alstead Food pantry that is facing special needs this fall.)
“Most of the public sees the deluge of people the sale attracts on Saturday and Sunday, but we are conscious, sometimes painfully conscious!, of the behind the scenes work it takes year around to put on a giant book sale!” notes Christian.
“So far this year we’ve had 38 volunteers working at least weekly to organize the books and other library items. And the really big work happens on the Friday before the sale when all the books are brought from our garage/warehouse facility and arranged for shopping during the following two days,” explains Christian.
Continues Christian, “Sarah Tucker and Judy Shumway have been particularly energetic and invaluable this year. And the help we get on the Friday set-up day from the Fall Mountain Regional High School Junior ROTC is just indispensable! Last year I would have died without them! They’re very professional, very quick, and very good!”
After the sale, left overs are carefully scrutinized for their usefulness to two groups that find uses for them overseas: the International Book Project and Textbooks Recycle. International Book Project seeks good non-fiction and children’s books for use in overseas libraries and Textbooks is seeking instructional books. In addition, a bulk reseller of books seeks material to carry away after the sale. So it’s a thorough, very useful way for Walpole and those in the area to dispose of no longer need books to good effect for many.
For further information or to volunteer to assist with the sale, call Carol Christian at 603-756-3879.
--30--