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!

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.

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.

Adopt-A-Dewey Program

Grafton Public Library held an “Adopt-A-Dewey” Program to fill in empty areas of their nonfiction collection.

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Raffle Fundraiser

Raffles are always a good way to raise money for the library. Here is an example of a ticket for a raffle run by the Friends of the Wardsboro Library.

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Wardsboro Friends’ Gilfeather Turnip Festival

The Friends of the Wardsboro Library celebrated their seventh turnip festival October 24, 2009. Turnip fare, a turnip contest, turnip seeds, and local participation are the key to this event.

The event involves most of Main Street, including the Wardsboro Town Hall, the Methodist Church Vestry and the Wardsboro Public Library’s Red Barn. The Gilfeather® turnip was first propagated in Wardsboro in the early 1900s by local farmer, John Gilfeather.

Live music, entertainment, activities for children, tag sale tables, craft item raffle and a turnip contest. The Turnip Café in the Red Barn serves Gilfeather® turnip soup and turnip tastings (nominal fee) of recipes created and prepared by Wardsboro “chefs.” Shop at the craft fair, the farmers’ market, and the Turnip Boutique for turnip-theme gifts, souvenir t-shirts, the turnip movie on VHS cassette and DVD, The Gilfeather® Turnip Cookbook, Vol. 2, turnips and seeds, apples, cider, organic veggies, breads, honey, Vermont products, specialty foods and local arts and crafts.

Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Wardsboro Library; details at www.friendsofwardsborolibrary.org; email: info@friendsofwardsborolibrary.org; (802) 896-3416.

Local Service Silent Auction

We are trying an idea that seems to be popular. We have set up a “Silent Auction” corner, and are featuring one item a month for patrons to bid on. They just write their name on a pad, place a bid and wait. Come back another day, check bids, see if you want to bid again higher than last bidder. No extra work for our staff, no collecting money, just written bids until we close the bidding.

Our first item was terrific, a balloon ride, donated by a local man. In fact we have items ranging from art pieces, to cooking lessons with a well known chef, to farm fresh eggs from a CSA for 20 weeks! So many local business people have been generous, we have donations taking us into mid 2010.

At last look, the balloon ride was bid up to $150.00.

Mary Bassett, Chair of Trustees
Deborah Rawson Memorial Library, Jericho/Underhill

Bookends Gala

The Mark Skinner Library in Manchester hosted a Bookends raffle and gala to raise money for their adult collection.

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Cookie Walk

Baxter Memorial Library in Sharon held a Cookie Walk fundraiser.

Bulbs for Books Fundraiser

Fletcher Memorial Library in Ludlow held a Bulbs for Books fundraiser to raise money to update their U.S. state series.

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