With the 41st Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale starting this Saturday, July 9, more than 30 volunteers continued working to fill Reed Intermediate School's cafetorium, main gymnasium, lobby, and classroom space with more than 120,000 gently used and new books, CDs, DVDs, and LPs on Tuesday, July 5. Setup for the book sale began on June 28, when tables were delivered to RIS, according to C.H. Booth Book Sale Chairperson Denise Kaiser. Books were moved to the site on June 29, and since June 30 setup has been underway, "in time to open on July 9."Special DonationsVolunteers Make It Possibleboothbooksale.org, or call the library at 203-426-4533.

By noon on Tuesday, a line of boxes was situated outside Reed, 3 Trades Lane, to mark places in line for patrons on Saturday. Attendees are known to arrive early.  The sale will run through Wednesday, July 13.

Friends of the C.H. Booth Library is a nonprofit group that supports the library and each year its members and other volunteers work to set up tables filled with a bibliophile's dreams at the intermediate school. The event also represents hours of volunteer effort throughout the year to collect and sort the items.

Opening day will have a $5 admission, with free admission for those 18 and younger. Numbered admission tickets will go on sale at 7 that morning. On Saturday and Sunday, the sale will run from 9 am until 5 pm.

On Monday, all items will be half-price, Tuesday, will be $5 for a bag of items, and on Wednesday, everything remaining will be free.

Monday and Tuesday the sale will run from 9 am until 7 pm; on Wednesday, from 9 am until noon.

This year there will be a particularly large collection of science fiction books available, according to Friends publicist Toni Earnshaw and Ms Kaiser, thanks to a large donation from a private collector and many other donors. Monroe's Tattered Pages Book Shop also donated to this year's book sale, when the store closed.

Roughly 2,500 paperback science fiction books will be available at this year's sale, according to volunteer Claudia Dapp. Paperback selections will also include other genres. Last year's book sale sold 16,000 paperbacks, Ms Dapp said. On Monday, June 20, while volunteers were still amassing this year's collection in boxes at the library to be brought to Reed, Ms Dapp said this year's paperback collection was shaping up to rival last year's collection.

Science fiction authors from Robert Asprin to Roger Zelazny will be available at the book sale courtesy of the large private donation, according to Ms Kaiser.

"We've got A to Z," Ms Kaiser said, adding, "Because of the size of our book sale, we can offer the full range of titles." Other authors represented in the donations include Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, J.R.R. Tolkien, Orson Scott Card, and Mel Odom.

"What's lovely, is that people think of us," said Ms Earnshaw.

"With affection," Ms Kaiser added.

Collections come from all over, according to Ms Earnshaw and Ms Kaiser. Often when people move or clean out homes for others, they bring books for the sale, Ms Kaiser said.

Pickups for donations are still available through Friends of the C.H. Booth Library, too, said Ms Kaiser, adding that the organization will help if they can. Ms Kaiser said people with large donations could call 203-270-4537 or e-mail boothbooksale@yahoo.com.

"We have an especially large collection of coffee table books [this year]," said Ms Earnshaw.

Ms Kaiser noted that many coffee table format books on railroads, with emphasis on steam engines and local train lines, were donated this year.

"Boxes and boxes," said Ms Kaiser about the donation.

There will also be a large selection of graphic novels at this year's sale, according to Alison James, who is overseeing the graphic novels collection.

"At this year's book sale we're lucky enough to have a large selection of Marvel and DC graphic novels, amongst others," said Ms James, "both from the direct and mass markets. Others include graphic novels by Dark Horse, Image, and many from the Vertigo imprint. We have a number of encyclopedic books about comic books as well as a fair number of manga titles, domestic and imported."

Ms Earnshaw and Ms Kaiser also noted other selections that will be available at this year's sale. A large number of books by and about architect Frank Lloyd Wright will be available. Among the art book offerings will be works by Eric Sloane, featuring whimsical line drawings by the artist on inside boards, with some inscribed to the collector.

The children's books area, Ms Earnshaw said, hums with energy each year at the sale, as children and parents peruse the selections for reading material.

"As in past years, the majority of the volunteers working that area are teachers," said Ms Kaiser. "There's the opportunity for patrons to work with professionals in the area to find that book that may help the slow-to-read kid find that spark."

The children's books are organized by reading level. Books are also alphabetized by series title for younger levels, and by series author for older children's levels.

"We really want to make the areas as accessible as possible to our newest readers, but also to the people that love them that come to choose books," said Ms Kaiser.

Aunts, uncles, teachers, and grandparents frequently visit the book sale to find the right books for their younger loved ones.

Reflecting on this year's collection in total, Ms Kaiser said no matter what a patron is looking for, the book sale will have it.

In the last year or two, Ms Earnshaw said Friends of the C.H. Booth Library has gained some newer volunteers, "which is wonderful." The volunteers, Ms Earnshaw said, make it possible to organize the roughly 90 categories of books offered each year at the book sale.

Ms Dapp started volunteering with the group in May 2014, "Which makes me still a newbie," she said.

As a retired fourth grade teacher in Fairfield, Ms Dapp said she slid right into the space for organizing paperbacks.

"She's a treasure," said Ms Earnshaw about Ms Dapp.

"It's a wonderful group of people," said Ms Dapp. "I think that is what really draws me."

Joanne Zang, Ms Kaiser said, is the most senior library volunteer and has been helping for 41 years.

Ms Kaiser said roughly 40 volunteers work year-round to help make the book sale a success each year. The number of volunteers swells just ahead of the book sale, and includes a number of groups of high school students each year. This year was no exception. When it came time to set up the sale at RIS, Ms Kaiser said on Tuesday, July 5, Newtown High School field hockey, soccer, and cheerleading teams were represented by volunteers.

Brenda Cameron said she began volunteering with the group this past November. She got involved because she loves to give back to her community, and she was volunteering at Middle Gate Elementary School as a mother, when she decided to help at the library, too.

"And, boy did I like it," said Ms Cameron.

As a library volunteer, Ms Cameron said she learns many new things, and it is a great place to learn about new books. When she volunteers she notes new titles for her son, Ethan, 8, and daughter, Chloe, 6.

"They do help me pick out some great books for my children as well," she said.

Ms Cameron mostly volunteers by helping to set up the library's Little Book Store, and she is looking forward to helping during the duration of the book sale in the children's book area.

Volunteer and rising NHS sophomore Justin Halmose said this is his third year volunteering with the book sale.

"I just love it," said Justin, adding that his hours volunteering are a good way to preview all of the books that will be available. Daisy MacDonald, a rising NHS junior, said Justin got her involved this year.

"It's fun," said Daisy, adding that she enjoys volunteering around town and meeting new people.

Rising NHS junior Jeff Klein was also working on Tuesday. He said he started volunteering after years of being dropped off at the sale by his mother and wondering how the book sale came together and who organized it. Volunteering, he said, is a good way to learn about new books he may want to read next.

Lynda Doyle, who chairs the book sale's food committee, said on Tuesday, as people paused to eat, that the food was made possible thanks to donors like Eunice Laverty of Bagel Delight, Franco's Pizza & Pasta, Butchers Best, Dunkin' Donuts, and My Place Pizza and Restaurant, and volunteers who also made or bought food.

Thanks to the generosity of the local businesses and volunteers, Ms Doyle said, "We have a feast every day."

For more information on this year's book sale, visit

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