The image of a library book sale most likely does not conjure particularly extravagant or dramatic images, but as the Guilford Free Library prepares for the 38th iteration of its fall fundraiser, locals have learned to expect all that, and more.

From Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Sept. 29, tents will flap outside the library as everything inside is pushed aside to make way for the massive endeavor and celebration, powered by the efforts of the Friends of the Guilford Free Library.

“In recent years, it has definitely grown and grown,” said Library Director Rob McCoole. “We have more volunteers than ever...It’s almost like a cultural event for the community.”

All year-round, a dedicated group of volunteers sort through thousands of donated books, magazines, comics, CDs, DVDs, and various ephemera, meticulous categorizing and organizing for the next big sale. On that Friday, somewhere around 100 volunteers will spread that merchandise in and around the library as residents and any other interested person come to browse, peruse, and possibly enjoy a snack in support of the library.

“One of the first things I noticed [at the library] is just how dedicated the friends group is,” said McCoole. “They’re very amazing.”

All through the year, volunteers work to sort the donations down into categories, starting broadly with things like fiction and nonfiction, and narrowing down into subcategories like gardening, true crime, and decorative arts, to name a few, according to the event’s co-chair Chris Towne.

These books are then labeled and stored, mostly in a building known as “the book house,” which McCoole said was once used as a day-care center. For the sale, each genre will be carted out to its own designated location somewhere in or near the library, with the book house holding most of the children’s items, decorated with balloons and other colorful items for that purpose.

“Everybody has something,” McCoole. “We have teachers that come in looking to supply themselves for the year. We have kids, parents, teens—it really runs the gamut. You can really say there’s something for everyone, and say it with a straight face.”

The amount of work that goes into preparing for the sale—and a couple smaller ones through the year—is hard to quantify. Towne said every single Thursday year-round, about 30 volunteers spend a handful of hours sorting and storing the donations that came in that week. Other folks sift through these items beforehand, finding anything that could be listed on an Amazon page created by the friends group, which also brings in money for the library.

“The first time I came in to sort,” said Towne, “I was just amazed at the people, who come in week in and week out, year in and year out...It’s really an amazing group of people.”

McCoole said that after looking at other libraries and other book sales, he had never seen anyone put the same kind of organizational effort as Guilford’s friends group does.

“Every week, someone’s maybe only adding a handful of books to their section, to what’s going to go on sale,” said McCoole. “Because they’re not just taking everything and throwing it on a table. They’re weeding out books by condition, they’re weeding out books by popularity, and what they end up with is a very well-chosen section.”

This results in a highly curated collection to offer the public when the sale date does come along. It also allows sharp-eyed volunteers to make some unique discoveries in the flood of donations.

Linda Brouard, who said she had been working with the friends for around 20 years, had two prized discoveries that will be available at the sale: a collection of beautifully preserved Audubon illustrations, and a 1937 set of Rorschach inkblot sheets, with pages from a book written by famed Swiss psychologist Dr. Rorschach.

With these kinds of little surprises every year and the well-earned reputation of putting on a spectacular event, the Friends of the Guilford Free Library and the book sale can only hope to keep up the good work.

For more information on the Friends of the Guilford Free Library and the book sale, visit www.guilfordfreelibrary.org.