The book sale will take place in Longmeadow’s Community House from Oct. 23-25.
Reminder Publishing file photo
LONGMEADOW — After a multi-week book collection drive, the Friends of Storrs Library is preparing for its annual book sale for local readers to find their next favorite story.
The sale will run Oct. 23-25 at the Longmeadow Community House, 735 Longmeadow St. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The Friends of Storrs Library is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Longmeadow library through fundraising, programming and volunteer efforts. Its mission is to foster lifelong learning, literacy and community engagement for all residents.
Longmeadow residents help make the book sale possible by donating books, which volunteers then sort through and organize to run the sale.
Thousands of donated books will be organized by genre, such as fiction, nonfiction and children’s books. Fictional books will be alphabetized and nonfiction books will be broken down into subjects at labeled tables.
There will also be specific sections for fiction authors that will be separated, easily accessible and searchable by list.
Friends of Storrs Library Board member and Event Chair Michelle Szlajen said this is the sale’s 16th year.
“We started at the library, you know, one room there,” Szlajen said. “In 2022, the town graciously allowed us to use the Community House. We were really able to expand the book sale at that time and have people be able to drop off the books for three weeks.”
She said the sale has seen great success with the community and it’s at the point where it’s an expectation each year.
“It’s a great community event,” Szlajen said. “We see the same people that come every year. We see the same people who drop off books every year. It’s got a great community feel to it, which is really nice, and we’re able to raise anywhere between $15,000 and $20,000.”
Szlajen said this event and other Friends of Storrs Library events are important because proceeds go directly back to the library, which is the group’s entire purpose.
“The library is just an amazing part of our community and our ability to support them also supports the community,” Szlajen said. “This event really brings the community together as a town, which I think is wonderful.”
More information on the Friends of Storrs Library and upcoming events can be found at friendsofstorrslibrary.org.
