As the head of Randolph public library’s Friends group, I’ve been consumed for the last couple of weeks with preparations for our annual July 4th outdoor book sale. I’m using that as my excuse for not writing much this month. But it’s also my excuse for taking the opportunity to give a shout out to the dozen or so women volunteers that make up our group.....
In addition to many hours of sorting and cleaning thousands of donated books prior to the sale, our intrepid group spent today setting up tables, tents, and signs, carting around dozens of boxes of books, staffing the sale, and then taking everything down at the end of the day....a physical day, definitely earning that extra July 4th piece of pie or strawberry shortcake!
Oh, and there were a handful that started the day by marching a couple of miles in the town’s July 4th parade, carrying banners to advertise the sale.
The entire effort was worthwhile, as we made over $700 in four hours - all with books priced at no more than two dollars each. It helped that the weather gods were in our favor and the predicted all-day rain didn't materialize until well after the sale was over.
As long as I’m shamelessly plugging our group……
Aside from the annual sale, we run a small used book shop in town which is open a couple of days a week, all year 'round. It’s a win-win for the community: a place for folks to recycle their gently used books, a place for others to purchase those books at bargain prices, and the source of a few thousand dollars earned annually for special library programs, children’s books at Christmas, and other projects.
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| "Where would the world be without gray-haired lady volunteers?" |
And so, if you're ever in Randolph and would like to meet one of these mighty women, or if you just need a good read, stop by our shop at 28 Pleasant Street!
