NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Friends of the North Adams Public Library is bringing back a tradition that many community members and book enthusiasts missed during its two-year absence because of the pandemic. 

 

"I just think that the community loves this. We get a huge amount of people that come in and buy boxes and boxes," Friend of the Library Susan Spooner said on Thursday. 

 

This Friday and Saturday, community members can browse the sale offerings at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center, participate in the silent auction and purchase books that range in price from 25 cents to $3. 

 

This year, the collection is extensive with more than 7,500 books, many donated by community members who bought new books during the pandemic. 

 

The diverse community donations collected range from children's books, education books, new novels, local authors to vintage books, autographed books, and many more. 

 

The hours on Friday are from 9 to 4; Saturday is 9 to 3.

 

The funds gathered from the sale will go toward library programming that provides residents opportunities that may not be not accessible to them otherwise. 

 

Some programming includes gardening, reading, knitting, cooking and more. 

 

Many members of Friends of the Library are retired teachers so reading is very important to them. The library provides educational opportunities and community connection through its programming. 

 

Aside from the programming, the library itself also provides opportunities for residents to connect and learn.

 

"A town without a library is a town without a heart," Friend of the Library Jessica Burdick said. 

 

The Friends also pays for passes to museums so residents can get in for free. Some passes include access to the Clark Art Museum, Hancock Shaker Village and the Norman Rockwell Museum.

 

Many of the volunteers said the library is a safe and accepting place for people to gather. It provides a quiet place to read and use the resources including the printers, fax machines, and technology resources that help expand their minds. 

 

"I don't think anyone realizes how many people go to the library every day, it's in the hundreds," Spooner said.  "During the heatwave this summer, the library was one of the places people could come in to cool off and in the winter, many people go in every day, just because it's warm." 

 

The Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing catalog and online resources improves accessibility that they did not have 25 years ago, one Friend said. 

 

For more information on the library, visit the website.