sabrinaBATES
Regional News Editor
A group of advocates for the Carroll County Library in Huntingdon is literally rolling up its shirt sleeves and rolling back book prices to help raise awareness and funds for the library.
Formed in May of this year, the Friends of the Carroll County Library are already full speed ahead with their efforts as an auxiliary of the public space. Their first fundraiser is next week, beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1 on the grounds of the library. The three-day event is a combination Bake & Book Sale.
Friends president DeeAnn Roome of Huntingdon explains this event is designed to serve two purposes. When the COVID-pandemic hit the nation and forced people to stay home, clean outs followed and the library received thousands of donated books.
Roome said the group has taken time to sort through the donations, swapping out titles on the shelves that may be in poor condition with donated replicas. Members have also looked at the library’s inventory and pulled titles that are no longer peaking patron interest. The 2,000-plus collection of books will be up for grabs during the planned book sale. Shoppers will receive a Walmart-style plastic bag and fill it with books for $5 a bag throughout the sale.
The books will be categorized by genre, non-fiction and fiction. Cookbooks, westerns, romance novels, record albums, DVDs, audiobooks, CDs, VHS tapes are up for grabs during the three-day sale. Baked goods from local bakers, including JuJu’s Cookies, along with handmade bookmarks will also be for sale. Silent auction items are also available.
The Bake & Book Sale begins Thursday, Sept. 1 from 3-5:30 p.m. and continues Friday, Sept. 2 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and again on Saturday, Sept. 3 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Cash is the only form of payment that will be accepted throughout the event. The Carroll County Library is located at 625 High St., Huntingdon.
The Friends of the Carroll County Library is made up of people from across the county who want to work to add to the public space. Money raised from events will help with updated furniture, expanded spaces and renovated design throughout. CC Library Director Erin Crockett, who took over the position April 1, said she has a wish list that includes opening up space, better access to the library’s 3D printer and expansion of the young adult collections. Friends members Kim Wester and Patsy Crockett said they share a goal of spreading the word to let community members know about the library’s vast resources. The public library is a space for all, from the young to the young at heart. A handful of services offered include Wi-Fi hotspots for checkout, the use of computers and internet in the building, access to free E-books through the Libby app and story hours that connect new parents in the community.
“The library is an integral part of the community,” Wester noted.
Roome added the first thing she did when she bought property in Huntingdon was get a library card, which is free for all. As she was transitioning from her home in Illinois to Huntingdon, she downloaded the Libby app, giving her access to hundreds of thousands book titles online.
“Libraries are ever-evolving,” Roome added, excited about being able to “read” books on her iPad and phone, hundreds of miles away.
In addition to housing books and computers, Carroll County Library offers community partnerships year-round. Students from Carroll Academy visit the Community Gardens, tending to the vegetables planted there and in exchange, get to enjoy the fruits of their labor during lunchtime at school. Over the summer, the Library partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to distribute free food boxes for families. During the school year, families are offered weekly snack boxes to take home.
The library just concluded a successful Summer Reading Program, which is open each year for children and adults. Participants are awarded prizes based on the number of books they read and the number of reading hours logged. This year’s event generated enough interest that the library was able to purchase more than 600 books to donate to the Carroll County Carl Perkins Center.
Crockett says future goals on her wish list include a bookmobile, classes for community members such as learning to sew and an outreach program with local nursing homes to offer book checkout and E-books to residents. With a limited staff of three people, the wants seem to outweigh the manpower. That’s where the Friends group picks up. From helping customers to digitizing documents to searching for grant funding, Friends’ members assist the library staff, voluntarily because of their passion for reading and knowledge. Big goals and dreams for a gem of the community that is accessible to all aren’t slowing down the group of library Friends. And the group has plenty of room for more volunteers who share a passion for their local library, which is funded partly by Carroll County and the region.
Anyone interested in joining the Friends of the Carroll County Library is encouraged to reach out on the group’s Facebook page. The Carroll County Library offers a Facebook and Instagram page on social media, for those looking to find out what programs are offered each week. Volunteers, donations and visitors are always welcome at the Carroll County Library, where a free library card means a passport to explore the world.
