Spring Book Sale 2017 - Friends of the Kensington Library

The Friends of the Kensington Library will hold its annual Spring Book Sale on Saturday, May 13 from 9am – 5pm in the Kensington Community Center at 59 Arlington Avenue. The sale will coincide with the Spring Carnival at Kensington Hilltop Elementary.

In a change from tradition, the 2017 Spring Book Sale will be a one-day, Saturday-only event. Revellers and readers of all ages are encouraged to drop by the book sale tables before heading up the hill to the Carnival. Children will be thrilled at the selection of titles for young readers, and may choose to browse the adult tables for a Mother's Day gift that fits a young person's budget.

Once purchased, books may be left with sale volunteers for post-Carnival pickup. The popular $3/bag offer will run from 3pm - 5pm, and can be a serendipitous way to top off the day's activities. Additionally, any browser who joins the Friends as a new member will receive a sturdy canvas bag for their books. (Rumor has it that the tote bag is also an excellent fit for a laptop - shh!)

The Friends of the Kensington Library, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, has worked to improve library services in Kensington since 1959, when it was incorporated with the purpose of providing a suitable home for an expanding library. The Kensington Library building, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in the fall of 2015, is the lasting and visible result of those early efforts.

"The Kensington Library does many valuable things for our community, and we should think of the library as community asset that just happens to be a library," says Larry Sullivan, treasurer of the Friends and a steering hand in the book shed operations for the annual book sales.

Through membership donations and book sale earnings, the Friends provide the Library with funds to purchase roughly a quarter of its books. It also provides children's and cultural programs for the community. Contributions to the FKL are tax deductible and eligible for corporate matching gifts.

Volunteers are always needed and made welcome at the twice-yearly book sales. Over the long term, the FKL is also seeking volunteers to help with pricing and sorting books (Tuesday and Friday afternoons, in the shed behind Library), producing and distributing the NOTES newsletter, bookkeeping, and fundraising. Those interested should contact Jim Fisher at fishjim.FKL@gmail.com, or join us at our regular board meeting on the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm in the Library.