Friends of the Library are opening a new chapter with their used book sale

For years, the Friends of the Park City Library have held an annual used book sale around the Fourth of July, and the proceeds help supplement the library’s annual budget.

This year’s event, which takes place July 4 and 5, will be a little different, said Cathy Lanigan, who is co-president of the Friends of the Park City Library with Ann Whitworth.

“We are hosting the sale in the library’s common room and room 301, so it spans the entire third floor rather than being set up all over the library lobby,” Lanigan said.

Although the Park City Library will be closed for book checkout on July 4, it will be open for book sales, Lanigan said.

“Lucky Ones Coffee will also be open and we will have air conditioning,” she said, “so this is a great opportunity to escape the heat.”

Another change is the Friends of the Park City Library member preview, which will give members first access to the books, said board member Rachel Sahlman.

“We are extending our member preview and it starts on July 4th at 8 a.m.,” she said. “During the member preview we will have a check-in table. And you can also purchase a membership right now. Or if you sign up now and become a memberwe will put your name on the list.”

Memberships start at $25, but there are other tiers, Sahlman said.

“Some pay $500 a year,” she said. “The great thing about memberships is that they provide a reliable source of funding for the Friends of the Park City Library,” she said.

Those funds, Laningan said, go toward the library’s programming, including summer “Music on the Patio” acoustic concerts, art exhibitions and receptions, book club collections, and seasonal toys and items available to the public.

“We are also fundamental in sending library staff to professional development conferences throughout the year,” she said. “While we are not the sole source of this funding, the library could not do it without the support of the Friends of the Park City Library.”

According to Sahlman, membership benefits include early notification of library public events, a free newsletter and invitations to pre-event receptions.

The member preview begins two hours before the public sale hours, which will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 4 and 5.

“Then on July 5th from 2 to 4 p.m. we’re having a ‘Bag Happy Hour’ where people can fill a provided shopping bag for $15,” Sahlman said.

According to Lanigan, the sale will feature hundreds of books covering the entire literary spectrum.

“We have a tremendous amount of children’s books, which is wonderful,” she said. “We also have art books, illustrated books, fiction, nonfiction and foreign language books for children and adults.”

The sale will also include games and puzzles, Sahlman said.

“All children’s books are $1, adult paperbacks are $2, and adult hardcovers are $3,” she said. “We accept cash and Venmo, and for purchases of $10 or more, we accept credit cards.”

All books and games for sale were donated by the public throughout the year.

“They’re stored in the back room we call the ‘bomb shelter,'” Lanigan said with a laugh. “We go through them, inspect them and categorize them.”

An army of volunteers made up of community members helps move the books from the back room to the third floor, according to Lanigan.

“Then we have more volunteers to help us set up and work the two-day sale,” she said. “Then it takes another team and another two days to clean everything up.”

Book sales, as well as memberships in the Friends of the Park City Library, help raise money to benefit the library’s programming, Lanigan said.

“The costs of running a library are increasing, so it is very important for us to be able to rely on a source of income,” she said.

Sahlman and Lanigan enjoy hosting the book sale because it allows them to interact with the community.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring a lot of people together in one room to celebrate literacy and the library together,” Lanigan said. “I love connecting with the community at these book sales. We have a phenomenal community that is engaged and intellectually curious.”

“I love talking to people and finding titles for them,” Sahlman said. “People come in looking for a specific title, and it’s like we’re on a little adventure. It’s fun when people get excited when we find a title or an author they’ve been looking for.”