Pequot Library’s 52st Annual Book Sale Set for July 27th - July 31st
Friday, July 27 9 AM to 8 PM: All items double the marked price
Saturday, July 28:9 AM to 5:30 PM:Items priced as marked
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Sunday, July 29:9 AM to 5:30 PM;Items priced as marked – Young Readers Day
Monday, July 30:9 AM to 5:30 PM; Items half off marked price
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Tuesday, July 31;9 AM to 2 PM; $5 a Bag Day
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Now in its 52st year, the Pequot Library Book Sale is better than ever, and will be held between July 27 and July 31. 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. All proceeds go to benefit one of the great small libraries in New England and enables it to serve the entire region.
Books and More for Sale
The Pequot Library Book Sale is one of the biggest and one of the best book sales anywhere, with over 150,000 items 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 will also be a hugh selection of 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 29th 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, a children’s concert at 1:00 p.m. by Mary Ann Hall Family Singers.
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.
Volunteers
The Library’s volunteers are at the heart of it all. The volunteers are led by the Book Sale Leadership Committee, led by Colin Green and assisted by Peter Ventriglia and they are assisted by members of the Book Sale Steering Committee: Llewelyn Almeida, Lee Freeman, Doug Fried, Shelley Hall, Bob Repko, Dan Snydacker, Linda Teja, 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 the Cinch Food and Restaurant . It brings thousands of people into Southport and Fairfield, benefiting merchants, restaurants, and hotels alike in a major way. 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.
