Susan Kelly, Nederland. A bibliophile paradise is about to unfold! The Nederland Community Library Foundation (NCLF) will host its biggest book sale of the season. Finally, after months of Covid-19 closures, the Nederland Community Library Foundation will offer a smorgasbord of used books and DVD’s for purchase at an outdoor book sale in front of the Nederland Community Library. Start your Labor Day weekend with a bundle of books in your hand. Mark your calendar: Friday, September 4 and Saturday, September 5 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. 

The NCLF performs a variety of fund-raising activities, but the annual used book sale, which offers inexpensive used books and DVDs to purchase, has been a tradition in Nederland for many years. That is, until Covid-19 got in the way. NCLF had a huge inventory, but the challenge was how to hold a book sale while honoring important social distancing and safety constraints?

This year’s sale will offer one of the best deals in town. It will be a bookworm’s heaven and a reluctant-reader’s lifeline. For only five dollars, patrons can buy sanitized, pre-packaged collections of used books and/or DVDs of all genres and for all ages. Individual used books/DVDs will also be available for purchase as well as a few free items. Mask and social distancing protocols will be implemented, and hand-sanitizer and gloves will be available. If for some reason, you can’t find what you want, visit the new online bookstore on the library’s website. https://nederland.colibraries.org/nederland-community-library-foundation/

But that’s not all. Library-inspired candles will be for sale as well as sturdy library themed tote bags. Do you want to honor a special friend, family member, community hero, or yourself? The NCLF sells pavers, the bricks outside the front door, which can be engraved with a special message or commemoration. It’s kind of like Nederland’s “walk of fame” for library lovers. 

The Nederland Community Library Foundation (NCLF) is the fund-raising arm for the Nederland Community Library. Money raised by the NCLF supports many aspects of the library, including programming, book and magazine purchasing, computer and technology support, and more. Donations to the library are both critical and greatly appreciated. If you love the library and have a few dollars to spare, slip those into the donation jar or write a check. People come and go, and the NCLF is currently looking for individuals who are interested in joining the NCLF. It’s a small commitment with a big reward.  

“I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.” - Emma Thompson.  Come to the NCLF book sale, support the Library, and find the book you didn’t know you needed!

(Originally published in the September 3, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)