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12/04/2019 07:48 AMThe Friends of the Guilford Free Library (FOGFL) will hold its annual holiday book sale Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 6, 7, and 8—and this year’s sale might be the most festive and cheery to date.
For the first time, the sale will include holiday baked goods donated by both local businesses as well as individuals, and will also feature carolers from Adam’s Middle School, according to longtime FOGFL volunteer Carol Wright.
The holiday iteration is one of the library’s three regular fundraising book sales, and is unique in that it caters to the gift-giving season—volunteers attempt to parse the many donations for books and other items that are essentially new, according to Wright, as well as other themed reading items, from holiday cook-books to classic Christmas children’s stories.
“From all the tons—literally tons of books that are donated—the volunteers who sort through these things...pick out the ones that are in perfect condition...and they put those in the sale,” Wright said.
The official theme of the sale is “give the gift of books,” according to Wright. Specifically catering to holiday shoppers means finding other items that might not appear at the library’s other books sales, such as jigsaw puzzles, games, or the kind of small novelty humor or inspirational booklets that don’t quite have a place at other sales.
“Little teeny things that you can put in stockings,” Wright said.
Having a holiday bake sale for the first time means that the FOGFL doesn’t quite know what to expect, Wright said, as far as what baked goods are donated. There is no requirement that the treats be holiday related, though Wright said that she guessed the library would be able to offer the brand of delicious baked goods most popular during the festive winter months, including pies, cakes, and gingerbread.
“We accept what they are gracious enough to give us,” Wright said. “But everyone wants cookies during Christmastime.”
The bake sale is only taking place on one day out of the three-day event, Wright said— Saturday, Dec. 7—for a sort of trial period.
Wright said she expected food to go fast that day.
Linda Carlone is chairing an event for the first time, said she took the initiative to reach out to local businesses to see if they would contribute to the sale, as well as the middle school carolers as ways to celebrate cooperation in the community.
“We’re always calling upon our neighbors and our friends...and once again, their willingness to assist, it was just incredible,” Carlone said.
Carlone said that both local businesses and individuals have shown an outpouring of support for the sale, which is something she said is emblematic of how the Guilford community functions. She left the door open for more future collaborations as the Friends looks forward to future sales and events.
“I love to kick around ideas and see if they can come to fruition...when you get [this] kind of encouragement and support, the sky’s the limit,” Carlone said.
But Carlone said credit for the event’s success should always fall on the shoulders of the volunteers who work year round sorting books and soliciting donations. She also emphasized how grateful the Friends were for every individual who donated to the sale this year.
“I’m just so honored to be a part of [this],” Carlone said.
For more information on the holiday book and bake sale, visit www.guilfordfreelibrary.org.