March, 2014: $400,000 Landmark Book Sale

Despite the rain, 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 1, 2014, was a time for celebration. Since 1993, under the tutelage of Jim Shield, the SCFOL Monthly first Saturday Used Book Sales had cumulatively sold over 1M books and raised $400, 000.  When the announcement  was made, cheers rang out congratulating SCFOL Book sale volunteers.  Then the library and Book Sale patrons enjoyed the celebratory cake cut by SCFOL Book Sale Chair Ron McFee, SCFOL President Judy Williams, and Ways & Means Board Chair Jim Shields. SCFOL was thrilled to have reached this milestone  during the 40th Anniversary year of the San Carlos Branch Library. Shields quickly pointed out that first and foremost we must thank those who so generously donate their gently used books for us to sell; the hundreds of energetic volunteers who donate over 5oo0 hours of their time and many a sore muscle and back  annually to the tasks of sorting-displaying-cashiering-and storing all of those thousands of books; and our patrons who come each month to buy, and buy, and buy.

The Book Sale has a high book turnover rate–close to 50% of the titles are new each month. Other notable landmark book sales were: the very first SCFOL  book sale, August, 1982, raised $250; August, 1993 was the first sale to top the $1000 mark; the February, 2003 sale brought in over $2000 for the first time; and by October, 2023, cumulative sales since 1982 have brought in over $583,000. On March 1, 2014  the first credit card (via PayPal) book sale purchase was made.

The book sales were started in order to raise funds to buy books for the SCFOL rental book collection. which existed for 20 years beginning in 1993.  Rental book titles, purchased monthly by Terry Gladin, were suggested by library patrons.  The following volunteers names have been associated with managing the book sales from 1982 to the present: Betty Sherman, Sonja Echt, Laura Hulburd, Joe Jones, Joyce Uber, Marty Herman, Carol Garner, Lori Martin, Marie Downey, Ben Seplowin, Pat Shields, Jim Shields, Orlie Baird, Roberta Irwin, and Ron McFee.

 THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, and THREE CHEERS to all our VOLUNTEERS.  Book Sale  revenue remains the primary source of income for SCFOL which annually deposits funds into the City’s Library Matching Funds accounts to purchase library materials, equipment, and programs–so your book purchases double in value for the library. Additional funds are invested into the SCFOL hope chest building fund.  Stay tuned for more of the story.