Pages in the Pub

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Norwich Public Library partnered with a bookstore and local bar to kick the holidays off this year. Sounds like a low key event with high visibility, trading on the library brand, books. Terrific that the bookstore donates 20% of the take to the Library.

Discuss good books with local librarians, booksellers, and fellow book-lovers while enjoying a glass of wine, beer, or seltzer. Participants will have the chance to purchase recommended titles from the Norwich Bookstore, which will donate 20% of proceeds to the Norwich Public Library.  Doors will open at 6:30.

This event is co-sponsored by the Norwich Bookstore, the  Norwich Inn, and the Book Jam Blog .

Wandering Wilbur, fundraising mascot

Windsor Library staff brainstormed fundraising ideas, and came up with a traveling piggy bank. Wandering Wilbur has his own Facebook page, carrier, and pleasant personality. He raises funds for books and children’s programs, whatever his hosts want to donate. According to an article in the Claremont NH, Eagle Times, donations have ranged from 10 cents to $350.

Wilbur has been to New York, Philadelphia and Lake Sunapee– obviously this guy gets around!

Booksale leftovers? Cutler answers

Cutler Memorial steps up to the booksale quandary.

We have a three-tier system for our discards and unaccepted donations/post-book-sale leftovers…

1. Better World Books “send” titles: they require materials be pre-scanned using their on-line tool and a barcode scanner (volunteers are very good at this), and probably only accept 1 in 25 titles, but we sent them 13 boxes this month and will probably see between $50-$75 in commission. They pay postage on books they know they can sell online and the proceeds after our commission support their non-profit which promotes literacy around the world. I love this service because it means that someone who is looking for the specific book we seek to pass along will find it via the internet!

2. Kids books and (mainstream-ish) health books in good condition: we donate to the health center and they give them away in their waiting room. We redistributed 3 boxes this way this year, so far.

3. Books that meet the criteria of Books to Prisoners (Google them and check out their web site): box them up in our smallest Brodart boxes (so postage is modest per box), label them ready to mail to Books to Prisoners. [I tried to find a Vermont connection for getting books into the prisoners here and alas, no luck.] I mention the stack of boxes ‘waiting to be adopted’ to specific patrons that I know are social-justice types, who will often take one to the post office and pay for postage. Win-win on the feel-good front, this one. We recently re-distributed 5 boxes this way.

Even with all of that, there are still approximately 20 boxes left over from our book sale that are destined for the dump. I try to put the quantity into perspective for people by pointing out that we have redistributed at least half of the material that did not sell at the book sale. But throwing out the book is not the same as throwing out the contents: there are hundreds of thousands of copies printed in most circumstances, so each copy is more like a shadow, or an echo, of the actual author’s work. It makes me feel a little better at the “book cemetery.”
Loona Brogan, Director
Cutler Memorial Library

A Mile of Pennies in Morrisville

The Friends of Morristown Centennial Library are working on A Mile of Pennies, a fundraiser first tried years ago by the Friends.

Patrons may have noticed red cans with Morristown Library Labels on them in local businesses. Look for the cans, and drop in your loose change so we can make a mile of pennies. The donations will go toward the library’s programs and services, especially the youth and children’s programs and activities.

(quoted from Morrisville’s Front Porch Forum)

Windham County Reads used the same idea as an old-fashioned bookmobile fundraiser. They targeted children in the elementary schools in the county. There’s something very charming about penny collections.

Books, Soup and Pie

Every year the Lincoln Library holds a “Books, Soup and Pie Sale” either on Columbus Day weekend or in November. People buy their Thanksgiving pies and freeze them. Last year librarian Debi Gray reported making $700 solely on pie sales. Check out the event at the library website.

The Grafton Library also holds an annual booksale the Saturday of the Columbus weekend– when people are in town for the foliage and other nonprofit fundraisers.

Library Tries Amazon Bookstore

Booksale

The Rochester Public Library has opened a virtual bookstore at Amazon.  Because most donated books that are not added to the collection are sold in the library’s book sale for 25 cents to $2 each the library lacked a way to sell rare or collectible books for their market value.  To solve this problem a library volunteer launched an online marketplace on Amazon for the library to list more valuable books.  With this store the library can reach a larger number of buyers and create more revenue for the library budget.

Director Jeannette Bair announced the bookstore with a letter to the Friends of the Library, pointing out that all gifts are first reviewed for usefulness to the collection. Many books and movies are for sale throughout the year in the library vestibule, a fundraiser that nets about $1,500 annually.

Platt Memorial embraces pigs

The Platt Memorial Library in Shoreham came up with a unique fundraiser: vote for your favorite pig-kisser, using dollars. Seven local dignitaries competed for the honor, and the big winner was the Library with more than $6000. Two local innkeepers won, and a picture of them kissing “Runty” appeared in the Addison Independent in February 2011. A good contest to liven up a cold month!

Spring fundraiser

Montgomery Town Library did a new (for them) fundraiser last spring selling flower bulbs. The Library made $500, after they split the profits 50/50 with the local gardening company that supplied the bulbs.

Consider a program that parallels the fundraiser: local gardeners talking using bulbs indoors and out. Hey, we could use some spring color and inspiration about now!

Norwich Tribute Fund

A gift

How does a library position itself to encourage bequests and contributions? The Norwich Public Library developed a quiet brochure to do the job.

Directors may want to have a lawyer review and offer background so the board is prepared to work with donors. The Vermont Community Foundation offers support to organizations like libraries who are setting up contribution vehicles. Contact them for help managing an endowment or creating planned giving.

Use the Scribd link to read the brochure, particularly the inside. A donor could make the gift without doing anything more than filling in the form.

View this document on Scribd

Annual Pie Fundraiser

The Woodbury Community Library holds their Annual New England Pie Breakfast and Silent Auction in March.

Over a hundred different pies and quiches are served up from 8:30 to 10:30 AM at this all-you-can-eat breakfast benefit for the Woodbury Community Library.  The event is held at the Woodbury Elementary School gymnasium; the cost is $7 for diners over the age of 6.