By Adrianne M. Schinkai, Head of Reference and Circulation Services, Vicksburg District Library
Patrons are enthusiastic with anticipation after the Vicksburg District Library announced the return of its annual book sale. The big event was canceled in 2020 and delayed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sale has traditionally been held in June to coincide with the annual car show downtown.
“COVID-19 cancelled our 2020 book sale and we were unsure it could happen during 2021,” said Eric Hansen, Vicksburg District Library director. “The whole situation has created numerous difficult questions. I have always assumed that occurring during the car show helped sales because of increased foot traffic in the village. However, this year we will see if the community will participate in the Book Sale even more when it occurs in October.”
One of the biggest concerns for the book sale is not just the safety and health of those who attend, but the volunteers who have worked hard to put everything together, Hansen said. This has been a main reason for the delay in the event’s return. “We have to consider how our volunteers could safely prepare for the sale. We also have to consider how many citizens will come to the sale. We are grateful to Gail Reisterer and her team of volunteers for coming to the library twice per month to sort books. They have had their work cut out for them.”
When the pandemic began, libraries across the state stopped taking donated items to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As a result, when Vicksburg opened donations once more in mid-May, limits had to be set on the amounts that could be accepted at one time. “During 2020, we stored a large number of unsold books from the previous year. Then we had DVDs and CDs which had been weeded after not being checked out for years. The volunteers needed to sort all of this in preparation for the upcoming sale,” he adds.
Despite the hiccups, Hansen hopes for success with October’s event. “The book sale has always been a reliable source of income. The collected money helps ensure that our patron outreach programs are well funded!”
The Vicksburg District Library’s Annual Book Sale will be held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8-9, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Monday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The sale will take place in its original location on the Library’s lower level. Only cash will be accepted for payment.
For interested patrons, there is still time to donate items. More information about donations and the sale can be found on the Library’s website at http://www.vicksburglibrary.org.
