To the Editor:
Wondering what’s happening to the thousands of books from the book sale?
We have three objectives: cClear out our storage areas so we have enough room for incoming books in anticipation of a sale next year, generate income to support library programs and services, and get books to children and adults who are eager to read.
Previously, we have stored boxes and grocery bags full of books, sorted in categories, stacked at random (but safely) as they fit in our sheds. These would be rearranged into more finite categories in the school gym in July, in anticipation of the sale. Since June 2020, we have had to resort and reorder our 20,000 books in storage to group categories to aid in distribution.
Despite the many restrictions on size of groups and touching surfaces, the Friends of the West Tisbury Public Library has been working on the following initiatives to replace our annual event:
- Paperbacks are on the WT library porch, to give away for (when possible) a donation. Please come often to peruse the choices, as they change almost daily.
- We have given away hundreds of children’s books through the MVCS Family Center, in collaboration with IGI along with lunches, to campers at the YMCA, to the hospital lab, and to an African school.
- We have sent off more than a hundred boxes to Better World Books for resale or redistribution. Eventually, we will receive some compensation for the books they are able to sell.
- We have made a modest donation to the Massachusetts prison system.
- Several book dealers have been engaged to evaluate the most valuable books. We are hopeful that this will result in some significant revenue.
We are hampered by health and safety restrictions as to how many people can work at one time together. Despite this constraint, and with masks and social distancing, volunteers have accomplished a great deal.
Our own West Tisbury library staff could not be more accommodating and supportive. Many thanks to everyone.
We will continue to explore book distribution options as they become available. More updates will come as they are appropriate.
Susan Wasserman
West Tisbury