Date: Fri 05-Sep-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

library-book-sale-Booth-Zang

Full Text:

GENNEWS / LIBRARY

Book Sale Organizer Joanne Zang Calls It A "Record Breaker" with cuts

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

We've come a long way, baby, since 20 years ago when Joanne Zang first set up

a card table outside the Cyrenius H. Booth Library and sold used books on

Labor Day to raise a little extra cash for the library's benefit.

Flash forward to Wednesday afternoon when the Friends of the Booth Library

were finally winding down this year's Labor Day Book Sale at Shelton House, an

event that involved more than 100 volunteers and saw thousands of area

residents visit the sale over the five-day period, August 30-September 3.

Speaking from her home where she was happily gathering together the receipts,

Mrs Zang reported that 1997 was a "record-breaking year."

"The sale earned $48,500, give or take a few hundred here and there," she

said, referring to the fact sale workers were still tallying the figures.

Add to that figure the $4,000 earned by yearly sales of used books at Sharon's

Coffee and Tea on Church Hill Road, and the sales, since April, at the

temporary library at Shelton House, and you've got a grand total "well over

$50,000 to go to the library for whatever they need to fill the holes," Mrs

Zang said.

Asked whether the Fairfield Hills location was a plus, Mrs Zang answered, "It

definitely was. There was plenty of room indoors for the books plus lots of

lawn space outside for the food tent and the craft vendors.

"We're very appreciative of the state letting us use Fairfield Hills and

Bridgeport Hall," Mrs Zang said. "It was perfect. No weather or tent problems.

We could just lock the door and go home."

"Saturday was our biggest sale day ever - $25,708 - and this year, it was

easier for out-of-towners to get to the sale on Monday because they didn't

have to fight the parade," she said.

"Also, people know when it is now and they plan for it. We had so many people

helping out. Now we can all rest," Mrs Zang said with satisfaction.

"We've already gotten a donation for next year, so soon we'll begin again,"

she added.

What Books Buy

For The Library

Even as she was making plans to meet with the Library Board to discuss the

best ways to use 1997 book sale earnings, Library Director Janet Woycik was

gratefully looking back to purchases that have been made or will be made from

the 1996 Book Sale funds.

"We've already bought Jim Kearns, the custodian, a power lawn mower, which he

really needed, and we've ordered a bulletin board for the information center,"

she said.

Other improvements paid for by the 1996 Book Sale include repainting the

outside sign, a new phone system, interior signage and purchase of computers

and printers, Mrs Woycik said.

With the added, unplanned-for expense that asbestos removal caused in the

construction budget, there were no available funds there to cover many of

these needs.

As Mrs Zang pointed out, book sale money can help fill those holes.