Boxes and bags in hand, bibliophiles lined the sidewalk leading to the Norfolk Library last Saturday morning, eagerly anticipating the annual used book sale that draws shoppers and dealers from throughout New England and as far away as New York and New Jersey.
Awaiting them were thousands of books donated from private Norfolk libraries. Within days, all would be gone, either purchased, given away or recycled to Bay State Books, which redistributes them to support literacy efforts. Books were also selected for Books Through Bars, an organization that provides books to prisoners.
The Library Associates are still tallying the results, but were happy to report it was a record year and some 24,000 books were “rehomed.”
It is not easy to stage a book sale as complex as the Norfolk Library’s. Sponsored by the Library Associates, it requires the help of some 90 volunteers under the direction of chairman Bridget Taylor.
Trish Deans and her team check all donations for books of better value, which are sold separately, and sale co-chair Liz Hilpman recruits volunteers for the many different tasks.
As a prelude to the sale, the Library Associates held a gala 50th Anniversary Cocktail Party under the tent Friday night. No sooner were the festivities over and the remains cleared away, than an army of volunteers began moving books from the basement to the tent in preparation for the sale.
By 10:30 a.m. the next morning, all were in place, with Mike Halloran putting the finishing touches on the display as he taped the corners of one last, over-burdened box. The aisles were opened, and buyers rushed through, lining tables shoulder to shoulder as they perused the titles.
Three days later it was over and all that remained was breaking down boxes, loading the Bay State Books truck and cleaning the tent area. Proceeds from the sale help underwrite the library’s many free special events, films, concerts, book discussions, children’s programs and more.
The book sale is never quite over, however. With the end of the 2024 sale begins preparations for 2025. The library basement is now empty but donors will soon be filling it again, promising another splendid sale next year.