SAN JUAN ISLAND LIBRARY

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David Bentley's column: The Big Event

View from the Library column: 23rd Annual Friends of the San Juan Island Library Book Sale

FOSJ thank volunteers

By Eve Burton, Friends of the San Juan Library

Thank you, Sally Bryan for your article ("Volunteers make the island go around") in last week’s Journal -- I could not have said it better myself! It’s a great lead-in for my thoughts …

The Annual Used Book Sale put on by The Friends of the San Juan Island Library, in my opinion, can always be looked at as a success:

• We are the recipients of donated (new and old) books from people who have read them and don’t have space on their bookshelves.
  
  
• We receive books from the library as the collection is purged to make room for new books.
  
  
• We are recycling books (at a really affordable price) back to islanders and visitors alike.
  
  
• We are able to donate "large print" books to the Senior Center and the Convalescent Center this year.
  
  
• And, at the book sale, lots of folks were able to enjoy looking at the books, purchasing their "finds", and the books are once again in the hands of more "book lovers."

So, this year’s sale was successful -- just like all the others since 1980!

On the other side of the coin … the line of anxious buyers was not as long as in prior years, but those who were there were just as restless for the doors to open! The number of people buying books was less this year, but those who were there enjoyed the time peruse the many, many books on all the tables, and they finally headed to the cashiers with bags of goodies! Subsequently, the actual sales were less this year to directly benefit our San Juan Island Library.

As the "fundraising " arm for the Library, the proceeds from all our sales projects (Annual Book Sale, Holiday Cards, Ferry Building book sales) help to purchase items for the library that (in many cases our tax dollars cannot be used for; prizes for children’s programs and contests as an example), purchasing "nice to have" items, or just more materials for the collection!

The current issue of our newsletter, Off The Shelf says: "Thanks to Everyone who helped." On behalf of the board of directors of the Friends, we sincerely appreciate all the efforts from the many volunteers, and the Elementary School for providing the space – you all make the book sale happen each and every year!

On a final note, we do have a shortfall. We are looking for several volunteers to help sort and box during the year. The schedule is flexible, but this task needs to be done on a regular basis throughout the year. If you are interested, please get in touch: Lee Lange at 378-7134 or highndryonhenry@rockisland.com or Eve Burton at 378-2485 even@interisland.net

Hundreds of islanders purchase thousands of books

Photos contributed by Eve Burton
(except where noted)

Volunteers took a table and sorted books before the 23rd Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale.

Customers lined up an hour early.

Readers selected their favorites.

Books for all ages were available.

Photo by Matt Pranger
Jasmine, librarian Lauren Stara's dog, relaxed as Cricket Evans read a newly acquired book.

posted 07/28/03
Friends of the San Juan Island Library held its annual book sale of more than 10,000 titles at Friday Harbor Elementary School July 25 and 26, 2003. People were lined up at 5 p.m. Friday for the 6 p.m. opening.

Proceeds support library programs and facilities. Last year's sale helped purchase a new, high speed copier and helped to pay for Youth Programs.

Volunteers moved the boxes into the elementary school.

Bob Guard checked over his purchases.

Susan Grout and Elaine Fleming enjoyed the sale.

Photo by Matt Pranger
Malcolm got lost in a book.

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