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09/01/2020 05:47 PMOne of Guilford’s most beloved annual community events will certainly not look the same this year, but unlike many other gatherings and celebrations, the Friends of the Guilford Free Library (FGFL) fall book sale will indeed happen, still offering families the chance to peruse an eclectic selection of treasures while supporting their library.
Instead of the usual three-day extravaganza spread both inside and around the library building, FGFL is crafting this year’s event as a series of pop-up sales, spread out over every Saturday in September (weather permitting) and offering a smaller selection of items in a safer, outdoor arena.
According to the sale’s co-chair Chris Towne, the library and FGFL had to make the decision about the book sale months ago, and realized that the traditional event simply couldn’t be undertaken safely. But at the same time, Towne said no one wanted September to pass without offering something to the community.
“It’s not so much about selling books and raising funds, although we do need to do that,” Towne said. “But [also as] a community event, to kind of say, ‘Hey, we’re doing this thing, come and browse.’ It’s very small in scope compared to what we usually do, but it’s a way for people to get out and...feel like there’s something going on now and then.”
With around 100 people showing up to the first sale in late August—one that Towne said was only lightly promoted, for fear of overcrowding—FGFL proved that it is possible to put together a small event of this nature that both recalls the excitement and tradition of year’s past while remaining safe.
Books are placed on a dozen tables on the front lawn of the library, according to Towne, spaced out with a one-way aisle, without about fifteen people allowed in the area at the same time. Books and other items will not be quite as closely curated as in year’s past, Towne said, with a “potluck” feel to the offerings- though children’s books will be prominently featured going forward after the initial sale did not include that genre.
Despite the fact that FGFL hasn’t been able to accept donations for the last five months or so, book reserves aren’t an issue, with a sizable stash left over from the last sale before the pandemic, back in December.
“We have a good inventory right now,” Towne said. “What we will sell at these pop-up sales will be a very small dent in our inventory.”
With many FGFL members unable to work or gather even in smaller groups due to being in high-risk health categories, and with state restrictions still disallowing indoor events, Towne said what sales might look like in the future is very uncertain, though there is hope for a more traditional event in the spring, she said.
“We can’t see a scenario when we can have 20 people in the sorting room trying to process all these books,” Towne said. “We have to consider the library staff, and the health, the comfort, and wellbeing of our volunteers as well. So it’s going to be slow, but hopefully this, too, shall pass.”
As far as fundraising, Towne said residents have been extremely generous despite the lack of book sales and events, with continuous donations even as the pandemic has dragged on and even during the library’s long closure, though they are still far from their normal goals.
“We’re going to need to make that up somehow, or at least make up as much as we can,” Towne said. “We’re hoping that in 2021 we’ll be back as a book sale business, but it’s very hard to predict right now.”
Pop-up sales are currently planned for Saturdays, Sept. 12, 19, and 26, running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Any weather-related cancellations or changes will be posted on the library’s website www.guilfordfreelibrary.org.