The annual rite of spring begins Saturday, April 25 when Wilton Library throws open its doors for its Gigantic Book Sale beginning at 7 a.m. for early buyers and 9 a.m. for general admission. Early buyers will have the Book Cellar, gallery and Brubeck Room to themselves from 7 to 9 a.m. for an entrance fee of $15 per person. The general public will then be let in free from 9 to 5 on Saturday, noon to 5 on Sunday, 10 to 5 on Monday and 10 to 2 on Tuesday. On Saturday and Sunday, a silent auction of rare and collectible items will take place. Also on Saturday, hungry shoppers will be able to fortify themselves with hot dogs and sodas sold by the Rotary Club of Wilton to benefit the library.
Book sale tri-chair Pat Gould remarked about the upcoming event, “We say this every year, but we are so fortunate to have the quality and quantity of books, CDs and DVDs that come in as donations. People are good to us in what they provide as donations and then they shop to their hearts’ delight, knowing that they will find quality items in return. It is a win-win for everyone!”
Commenting on that thought, Lila Griswold, another tri-chair said, “People tell us what they love about this sale is the sheer size of it and the selection of the merchandise.” With upwards of 70,000 items in more than 50 categories, shoppers will find bargains and buys in gardening, travel, art, golf, histories and mysteries in formats ranging from books, DVDs, CDs, and books on CDs for babies, toddlers, teens, and adults. Lila noted, “We even have a cache of graphic novels, which we are gaining in popularity each year.”
Bob Russell, a volunteer in charge of the silent auction, added, “Many of the donations end up being surprisingly wonderful finds of rare and collectible books.” Some of this year’s stand-out titles are Assignments, a photography book by Anthony Armstrong-Jones, also known as Lord Snowdon, and signed by him; a Journal of Henry David Thoreau, leather-bound set; and Grant and His Campaigns, an 1866 original edition rebound. These treasures are among more than 120 titles in categories of art, children’s, history, literature, science and nature, and more. Russell added, “We have three early printings of Alice in Wonderland and this is the 150th anniversary of the first edition. We also have a copy of the April 15, 1865 newspaper about Lincoln’s assassination – this, too, marks its 150th year.” The list of silent auction offerings can be found on the library’s website, www.wiltonlibrary.org and by clicking on the icon for the Gigantic Book Sale on the homepage.
Janet Zuckerman, also a chair of the event, said, “We are always looking for volunteers to help in this vast undertaking. In addition to the annual sale, we now have the Summer Sidewalk Sale, the Holiday Sale, the Awesome Autumn Sale, as well as our continuing sale throughout the year in the gallery of the library. Anyone interested in helping with this wonderful endeavor can contact me at janzuck@gmail.com.”
Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center. For more information, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org or call 203-732-3950, etc. 213.