At a Fairfield sale that's just around the corner....
FAIRFIELD - It’s time again for the Pequot Library’s Annual Book Sale.

It’s the 51st sale and it’s set for July 22-26, with all proceeds going to benefit the small library, organizers said in a statement.

It is one of the biggest, “best” book sales in the region, with more than 140,000 books and more than 50 categories along with CDs, tapes, LPs, and more, the statement said.

“It brings book lovers from all over the country and offers them the widest selection of great books at really great price. Throw in the fun of meeting old and new friends, the great food, and the joy of finding a real treasure, and all the ingredients for a wonderful experience are in place,” the statement said.

There is a wide range as well: children’s books, current fiction, classic literature, gardening and nature, history, mystery, science, science fiction, Connecticut and New England, sports, travel, crafts and hobbies, health, music, performing arts, art and architecture, biography, and many more, the statement said.

Also, under the direction of Lee Freeman and Paige Gillies, there are high quality, very collectible LPs, 45’s, CDs, DVDs, and tapes. “This part of the book sale is growing dramatically and drawing in a whole new clientele to the Book Sale,” said Freeman, also in the statement.

Further, the statement said: “One of the most meaningful aspects of the Book Sale is the Books for Teachers program. Over the past several years, through the generosity of the Renée B. Fisher Foundation, Pequot Library has offered vouchers for up to $100 to teachers in the Bridgeport and New Haven school systems. With these vouchers, teachers can purchase an extraordinary quantity of books for their classroom or their personal libraries.”

All books and other materials are “donated to the library by countless individuals who come in a constant stream throughout the year to unload their bags and boxes of books into the receiving bins in the shed on the library driveway. Their thoughtful, tax deductible donations of the books they no longer need make possible this event which is the major fundraiser for the Library and helps ensure the Library can continue to provide the outstanding library services and programs the entire community has come to appreciate and depend on,” the statement said.

The Book Sale is the biggest fund-raiser of the year at Pequot Library, organizers said.

“The Book Sale is more than just a fundraiser for the library. It also builds community. It is one of those annual events that everyone knows about and looks forward to that are so important to sustaining the sense of community that is increasingly threatened in the fast paced world of today. There are literally hundreds of volunteers that participate both on the day of the sale, and throughout the year as sorters and pricers. It is as much a social event as a fundraiser. It is a chance for old friends to catch up, for neighbors to spend time together in service of their Library, and it helps build a unique sense of place for everyone in Fairfield county. It is also a way for the community to express its support for the Library and the outpouring of donated books and the hard work of the volunteers is a testimony to how important the library is for the entire region.”

Library volunteers “are at the heart of it all,” the statement said. Volunteers are led by Ted Murena and Peter Ventriglia and they are assisted by members of the Book Sale Steering Committee: Llewelyn Almeida, Ruth Ann Baumgartner, Lee Freeman, Paige Gillies, Colin Green, Shelley Hall, Peg North, Linda Teja, and Stephanie Weaver.

Dan Snydacker, the Executive Director at Pequot Library, said: “our volunteers are a wonderful, dedicated group. They work so hard to support the library and their efforts are appreciate by everyone involved with the Library as well as all those we are able to serve at the Library over the course of the year.”

To volunteer for the booksale in any way, email booksale@pequotlibrary.org, or call the Library at 203-259-0346.

For more information on the Sale, or to volunteer at the event, email booksale@pequotlibrary.org, call the Library at 203-259-0346, or visit the Library’s website at www.pequotlibrary.org.

The schedule is: July 22, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.: All items double the marked price

July 23, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Items priced as marked

July 24, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Items priced as marked

July 25, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Items half off marked price

July 26, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: $5 a Bag Day

Other highlights:

- Young Readers Day on July 24, and it is intended as a family “event encouraging a life-long love of reading and learning in children.”

- The sale is a great volunteer opportunity and you can serve throughout the year or just on the days of the sale.

- Donations of books and other materials accept throughout the year, with an easy to use drive-up drop-off bins. Donations are tax deductible.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.