League of Women Voters of the Northampton Area
Book Sale – September 2022 – Report
Reflections by many on the team
Gross Profit $10,484 (2nd highest ever by $2,310 in 2007)
What was different this year
Many books – 650 boxes (13,000 books – estimate); we aim for 450 boxes
Collected for three weeks (like last year) July 11-29; sorted July 11-August 5
Advance PR about collection – mostly electronically
More active participation by 75 LWV members and others
52 LWVNA members (including 5 individuals/family members and friends who filled many roles)
Involvement throughout by 12 family members and friends who are not LWVNA members
Involvement by 5 new members and LWV members who only do the sale
Active participation by 15 high school students from SVAHS and NHS Key Club (David Starr- Contact)
Two new categories (Young Adult and Graphic Novels well- received; local history brought back as a category)
What was the same and effective
About half of LWVNA members (52) helped out in some way -meeting/collaborating with other members
Set-up at SVHS the same – enjoyable music from Becky Shannon’s group from 2-4
Collaboration with SVHS staff – always very helpful
Daily experienced leader to provide guidance for new sorters
Suggestions that improved sorting and the sale
Large alphabetical expanded category sorting list on the wall above sorting boxes
Many black and red sharpies available
Daily leader provided “training” for first time sorters/packers
Lots of email contact to encourage participation
Children’s and hobbies categories in the hallway
Revised and expanded handout to shoppers for categories; copies saved for next year
Suggestions for next year
Continue with process used in 2022
Add a category “Banned Books” – Amy Rome has offered to provide research for this
Have a debrief meeting within the next month
2022 Book sale box counts – not available this year because of storage limitations in the summer
Estimate: 1/3 to ½ sold; new categories went well – almost all graphic novels were sold
Thank you letter from SVAHS Librarian Leslie Skantzhodgson, Sept. 28th, 2022
Dear Margie,
Many thanks to you and the League of Women Voters for offering coupons for free books and a free-book hour to teachers at your annual book sale.
I usually come twice during the day; in the morning to shop with Kevin, and again at 3:00 for the freebies. As I was leaving from my first visit, I saw one of our students coming in with her mom. I asked her if she had a coupon (we’d been making announcements about them all week), and she did not. I got one for her, and she and her mom were very grateful.
When I returned at 3:00, I was able to snag:
– 2 books that are taught in the English curriculum
– 2 graphic novels for our new English teacher, who uses them a lot in his classes
– 1 book on Vietnam in the veterans’ own words for our history section
– 1 book on building and renovation for our construction trades section
– 1 popular young adult title for the fiction section
– 1 sports fiction book
– 8 books selected for their physical size for a book crafting activity I’ll be doing at a family-school partnership event (I’ll tell you about that when I see you next). I made sure those books were outdated and likely not high-interest because we’ll be cutting and folding them 😉
I hope your event was successful; thank you and the LWV for all that you do, and for thinking of teachers and students in your efforts!
Sincerely,
Leslie