Date: Fri 10-Sep-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Booth-Library-book-sale

Full Text:

Newtown's Great Book Bash

(with photos)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

Dean Hamilton and Cathie Lewis arrived at the Labor Day Booksale minutes after

it began on Saturday, and were number 307 and 308 to step through the front

door at Bridgeport Hall.

In less than 10 minutes, more than 400 bargain hunters -- many of whom had

waited in line for hours -- had filed inside and were busy scanning the

100,000 books for the ones they wanted to buy.

Ms Lewis, a forensic psychiatrist, found plenty of books on crime. Mr Hamilton

likes mysteries -- "but not too gory" -- and, because he plays the organ, he

also grabbed a book of organ music.

Among the first to enter the sale were the dealers. Ed Babcock and his partner

Norman Lewis, who operate Editions in Shokan, N.Y., come every year.

"We wouldn't miss it," Mr Babcock said, as he and several employees wheeled

handcarts stacked with 25 cartons to one of the checkout counters. "We buy a

little of everything, all general categories."

Library volunteer Eric Neidhardt said he helped two women, dealers from

upstate New York, load 22 boxes of children's books into their Jeep Cherokee.

"I had to do a little repacking for them but it all fit -- the books, the two

women and their dog, a lab."

Helen Mills pored over the gardening books, adding many to a cardboard box at

her feet.

"I have a big garden, and my sister is just beginning to garden," she

explained. "These will get a lot of use."

The cavernous rooms of the former Fairfield Hills Hospital cafeteria building

were filled with tables overflowing with books. Cartons of books sat on the

floor, waiting for room on the tables above.

"It's very humbling -- so many books [to read], so little time," Library

volunteer John Blawie said, scanning the room.

Outside, tables of donated baked goods were sold by other volunteers,

including many from the library staff. At another table, the Save Fairfield

Hills For Newtown activists were busy getting signatures on petitions urging

the town to buy the property.

Booksale coordinator Joanne Zang said that, according to preliminary figures,

this year's four-day booksale by the Friends of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library

may have raised about $64,000, nearly $6,000 more than last year. This doesn't

include the used books sold during the year in the Book Nook at the library,

an estimated $7,000 worth this year.

"But it's an enormous job," Mrs Zang said. "If you figure the amount of hours

put in by the volunteers, [this fund-raising] works out to less than $1 per

hour."

According to Mrs Zang, two dozen volunteers worked two mornings a week for ten

months, or about 1,500 hours, pricing and categorizing the donated books. In

July and August the volunteers, joined by dozens more, work every day. Some

work evenings, too, bringing collectible books home to research the prices.

"There are about 100 volunteers in all," Mrs Zang said. "The work that they do

has established the reputation of the booksale. It's is known for the good

quality of the books, and the fact that they are categorized and alphabetized,

making it easy to find what you are looking for. That's why the sale is

successful."

Most of the leftover books will be packed in boxes by the volunteers and

donated to Goodwill Industries, Mrs Zang said.

Even as the booksale concluded on Wednesday with the remaining books offered

free to the public, new donations of books already were waiting to be priced

and sorted at the library for next year's sale. Books should be left on the

carts in the main entrance lobby by the children's department. Pickup can be

arranged for large quantity donations.