Public Library's Book Sale: The Circle of Life for a Book in Belmont

The following note was written by Nancy Dignan of Gale Road and a member of the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

The Friends of the Belmont Public Library held another successful Friends of Belmont Public Library Annual Book Sale this past weekend (Oct. 19 and 20) earning much needed money to supplement the Public Library's budget for programs, services and sundry items. Thank you to all that volunteered their time and those that bought books.

What most people don't know is that preparation for the sale occurs year round.  The generous and avid readers in Belmont donate their gently used books throughout the year to the back door, during library hours. These books are then sorted and stored by dedicated volunteers. Others go upstairs to the Everyday Book Sale on the first floor. Additional books are pulled out to replace missing or old ones in the library's collection and more pulled to be distributed to the elementary school and middle school library collections.

Before the Annual Sale, the Friends invites the librarians and teachers in the Belmont School System to come by and select additional tomes for their collections.  This is a wonderful opportunity for the new educators to start a collection of classroom books for free as they have no budget to do so. It's a wonderful symbiosis that enriches many in town.  

If you are interested in helping with this year round project, check out the volunteer section on the Friends section of the Belmont Library website or make a donation and join the FOBPL. We would love your help!