If it’s April, it must be time for the Friends of the Library Book and Bake Sale. A harbinger of spring, the annual event draws book lovers to Norfolk from all over. The sale will be held on Friday, April 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. (Friends-only sale), and Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Department of Public Works (DPW) garage at 33 Medway Branch Road. The sale will feature over 35,000 books in great condition, as well as baked goods of all kinds.
Long-time Friends of the Library member Ann Hanssen says the sale has been held, in one form or another, for over 20 years. The Friends of the Library, a group of volunteers who support and supplement library services through fundraising efforts and membership dues, is the force behind the Book and Bake Sale, now a massive yearly undertaking. Norfolk’s Friends of the Library has been in existence since the 1970s.
“The Book and Bake Sale is pretty much synonymous with the Friends of the Library,” said Hanssen.
Long-time residents might remember when the sale was held twice-yearly in the Jeanne D. Hill room of the former library, and then moved to tents in the library’s driveway. Eventually, as the sale grew bigger, it was moved to the grounds of the H. Olive Day School. Back then, the book sale was held in the fall, but after a particularly stormy weekend, it was moved indoors to the DPW garage in April.
Former Norfolk resident Mary Jo Gothorpe, president of the Friends of the Library from 1994 to 2007, said the Friends became proficient at executing what would become one of the biggest book sales in the area.
“As each year’s lessons were learned, we planned more and more innovations to increase the profits and to smooth operations,” recounted Gothrope, now living in Florida.
And, as the sale grew bigger, the Friends were able to fund more and more items for the library. According to current Friends president Nanci Murphy, proceeds from the sale have helped fund the library’s twelve computers for patrons, staff computers, museum passes, children’s programs, self-checkout kiosks, and much more.
“Everything we get from the sale goes right to the library,” said Murphy.
Preparations for the sale are ongoing throughout the year. People donate books constantly, and the Friends are tasked with going through the donations weekly, said Hanssen.
“We sort books every week, we eliminate books every week. We box them up, we store them, we bring them to the trailer at the DPW,” Hanssen explained, adding that at least twenty people are involved year-round.
Hanssen estimates the group keeps only 50% of all donated books. “We are very strict as to what quality we take,” noted Hanssen. “They cannot be dog-eared, smelly, or torn. They cannot have any scribbles on them.”
That quality control, believes Hanssen, is one reason the sale has been successful for so many years, and why it draws buyers beyond Norfolk. In fact, book dealers line up on Friday afternoon, before the sale even starts. They come from all over New England, and must purchase a Friends membership before entering the Friends-only sale on Friday night.
“They are usually first in line so they can get the best books,” Hanssen shared. “They have certain things they are looking for, but we have plenty to go around.”
Over 100 volunteers help out during the sale itself, including the town’s Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The Boy Scouts, said Murphi, help transport close to 1,000 boxes of books from the trailer to the DPW garage. Then the many volunteers unpack and set up the books. The Norfolk Lions sell hotdogs and soft drinks during the book sale, and on Saturday the event includes a bake sale.
“A lot of people bring their very best pies, and their very best bread, and their very best cookies, and we sell them,” Hanssen said. “People are very generous to bring their goodies, and people are very generous in purchasing them.”
Former Friends president Gothorpe noted that the book sale has set a high standard. “We’re known among local libraries for having one of the most successful book and bake sales in the area.”
Over 1,500 people visit the sale each year, estimates Murphi. The Friends group starts advertising the sale starting in the fall in Yankee Magazine, as well as in teacher associations, schools, and other places where books are valued.
Hanssen believes the year-round efforts of Friends past and present have contributed to the enormous popularity of the book sale. She reflected, “You have to believe in books and love books, and to help your community and your library. And now the community waits for it,” she said. “There’s almost a hum on Friday night. It’s the place to be. It’s become a community effort, not just by the volunteers.
“We all benefit because it makes our library better, and that’s also good for the community,” she concluded.
To volunteer at the sale, or to bake, contact Nanci Murphi at nancimurphy@hotmail.com.
For more information about the Friends of the Library, visit www.norfolkmalibraryfriends.org. Friends memberships can be purchased on Friday, April 21 for $20 prior to entering the Friends-only sale. The Saturday sale is open to all.
Issue Date:
April, 2017
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