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Community Corner

Library Book Sale Preview Gives a Sneak Peek of What's to Come

The Friends of the Tolland Public Library organization hope to raise from $2,500 to $3,000 for the Tolland Public Library this Saturday.

On Thursday, Tolland residents got a taste of the upcoming Friends of the Tolland Public Library book sale at a preview held in the Hicks Memorial Municipal buiding gymnasium. Earnest book shoppers and piles of literature were good signs that will be a popular event.

“It’s been a jam packed two months,” Friends of the Tolland Public Library member Nancy Brochu said of the immense event preparation. The organization’s volunteer members have been collecting books since March of this year; they received enough donated books to fill 301 boxes, many of which lined the walls of the gym last night.

The profits from each and every sale will go straight to the Tolland Public Library. Friends of the Tolland Public Library Vice-President and Library Circulation Assistant, Joan Vertefeuille, explained that the book sale has already been profitable for the library in years past.

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“We buy furniture, book cases; we purchase books, and we buy some of the museum passes,” Vertefeuille said. “The book fair is one of the major fund raisers.”

According to Vertefeuille, the fair has raised $2,500 to $3,000 in funds for the library in previous years.

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Besides buying necessary equipment like computers and furniture, Friends member Pete Brochu saoid that the organization often sponsors events featuring authors or programs for residents. In fact, the club recently helped the library renovate its program room.

“We can’t do big things,” Pete Brochu said of the organization, “but the program room in the back we basically renovated by ourselves.”

Local residents were clearly enjoying the organization’s hard work last night as they roamed through the tables of books, often carrying boxes or bags full of great finds. The prices are low enough for people to stock up; hard cover books go for a dollar while mass-market paperbacks are a mere fifty cents.

Tolland resident Wendy Griffin paid the $5 preview fee, just to make sure she didn’t miss out on the fair’s deals.

“I’m going to be busy Saturday,” she said. “I don’t want to miss it."

Suffield resident Jeff Morgan came to the preview to find the widest selection of titles. A participant in previous book fairs, he’s been disappointed when the books have been picked through at the end of the day.

“It doesn’t pay to come at the end, “ he said

No matter what time you show up, though, fair-goers can rest assured that each book has passed a quality check. According to Nancy Brochu, books are carefully examined before being laid out, and even have to pass a “smell test” to make it to the selling floor.

“The quality of the merchandise is good,” said Putnam resident Forest Black, who often resells the books afterwards.

“People seem to love the book sale,” Nancy Brochu said. “Who wouldn’t?”

Tolland bookworms can cash in on these great deals at the book fair this Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hicks Memorial center’s gymnasium. Admission is free, but be sure to get there early since book fair veteran Nancy Brochu said there will likely be a crowd.

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