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09/14/2022 08:30 AMAfter a 35 year-career as a professional piano tuner, Chris Towne retired and turned her talents toward volunteering in her community. In 2017, she actively joined a group she’s long supported, Friends of the Guilford Free Library (GFL). Now, Chris is delighted to present this year’s finely tuned Friends Fall Book Sale, as its event chair.
The 41st annual Friends of GFL Fall Book Sale is set for Friday, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 25, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in and around the library grounds at 67 Park Street.
Chris has been helping out as a book sale co-chair and/or chair since 2019, when the last full-scale sale was offered. She feels this year’s event may offer the most efficient and customer-friendly browsing experience to date, thanks in large part to lessons learned from the pandemic.
“In 2020, we couldn’t have regular sale, so we created the pop-up sales – one day sales on Saturdays, outside. We held those sales over six or eight Saturdays,” says Chris. “Then, in 2021, we had to redesign the sale. We had to scale back tremendously, because of COVID. So, we reduced the number of tables and increased the aisle size. And we liked the new layout so much, we’re using basically the same thing for this year! We found that people really enjoyed fewer tables and more space. They spent more time enjoying themselves, and bought just as many books.”
Last year’s book sale raised $41,189. Funds raised by the Friends support programs, materials and needs above and beyond GFL’s regular operating budget. That support is very much appreciated, said GFL Director Rob McCoole.
“This year, we received $95,000 from the Friends towards our operating budget, which allows so many things to happen -- so many programs, concerts, extra copies of best-sellers, digital books that we might not own. The Library of Things was also greatly expanded recently. All that is thanks to the Friends,” says McCoole.
Chris tries to ensure the sale will not only pay dividends by raising funds to support the library, but will be a successful, community-building, book-centric event.
“You always want to match the amount raised in the previous year, so that would make me happy,” she says. “Obviously we support the library with any proceeds we make, but we’re also focused on getting books into people’s hands, and having a nice atmosphere and a community event. The joy for me is watching people, especially little kids, come to the cashier with armloads of books, because the books are all so reasonably priced.”
The vast number of categories on display will offer books of all descriptions and genres for pennies on the dollar. But there is much, much more to find. Hundreds of specially- priced, unique items will be up for sale, including vintage books, ephemera, DVDs, CDs, books on CD, vinyl LPs, games, and puzzles. Everything has been donated over the past year by members of the public who drop their donations off at GFL year ‘round.
“We couldn't do any of this without the donations we receive through the year; so we are really appreciative of the people who bring in the books – and not just books,” says Chris. “We offer so many interesting items that have been donated. We have ephemera – anything that was produced that was not meant to last -- things like old sheet music with the beautiful covers from the ‘20’s and ‘30’s; old Life magazines; charts and prints and old playbills — just all kinds of things that you would never think about, but are really interesting to find.”
Among the sale’s other uncommon categories are its rare and vintage books, as well many singular, higher value books; which Chris describes as “...special books that aren’t necessarily old, but may be limited editions or something unusual we just don’t see. So those are priced a bit higher, and they tend to sell out quickly, because they’re one-of-a-kind items.”
Hint – you'll find those types of finds in the library’s Meeting Room. Other areas indoors where the Book Sale will be in action include the hallway (from the main lobby to the meeting room) and the main lobby. The lobby is the place to be on Saturday, when the Friends’ one-day bake sale, a fan favorite, opens at 9 a.m. — and usually sells out by 1 p.m., Chris notes.
All three days of the sale, two tents will cover tables and tables of books on the library lawn facing the Guilford green; while the Book House (beside the library parking lot at back) is transformed into a children’s item area.
“We have a room in the library where we sort and box up all of the books by category all year,” Carol explains. “Then, the boxed inventory is moved to the Book House, where it’s stored for the sale. When it’s time for the sale; we have to clear everything that’s in the Book House; and the children‘s sale gets set up in the main room. They do such an amazing job — it looks like a little children’s books store — it’s just delightful. The other two rooms are also where we sell some children’s books and offer some other categories.”
As you might imagine, it takes a lot of time, planning, and people power to prepare and put on the book sale.
“This takes months of planning. It’s a very big endeavor, with a lot of moving parts,” says Chris. “I sort of feel like this conductor of all the people in this orchestra of the Friends. We have a lot of people who have a part to play, and they all play their part really well.”
Chris is grateful to her co-chairs, including Friends’ treasurer Marcy Crimmons, who takes care of the sale’s financial end, and Maria Ogren, who is a hands-on, creative problem solver. Then there are the many Friends themselves, and others, who help make this sale a success, says Chris.
“It’s tens of thousands of books and tens of thousands of hours," she says. “We have about 50 people right now who are really active in the sorting room. They come in week in and week out. During the three days of the sale, the people who are in charge of categories tend to be on site a good part of the time, or have someone covering for them. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun.”
The Friends also thank community volunteers who pitch in to help set up and break down the sale, including the “muscle” box-moving crew. Chris also thanks three different groups of musicians who have now volunteered their time, through the years, to play live music at the sale on Saturdays and Sundays.
“It lends a kind of festive air to the sale, which is really nice,” says Chris.
For her part, becoming involved as a Friends volunteer has given Chris a chance to become more involved in her community. Chris has lived in Guilford since 1992; before that in North Branford and prior to that, in Madison.
“I’ve been in the shoreline area a long time, and that’s where my tuning business was really centered,” she says. “I just loved every minute of my 35 years in business. I met so many great people, and I liked being a sole proprietor – a one-person show!”
At the same time, Chris adds, “...working as a sole person for 35 years, going to house to house; even though I lived here, I didn’t feel as though I was part of the community. Once I started with the Friends, I really feel like I’m part of the Guilford community; and in my small way, I’m doing something for everybody in town.”
To learn more about the Friends Fall Book Sale or to become a member or volunteer, visit guilfordfreelibrary.org