Friends of the Beaufort Library sale back on Friday after COVID-19 cancellations
The Friends of the Beaufort Library annual sale was held even after a “monsoon” hit Beaufort’s waterfront a few hours before the sale was set to open three years ago, according to the group’s board member for marketing, Bruce Doneff.
“That was a wild scramble, but the folks pulled together and kept everything dry,” Doneff said.
Last year, “like so many” events, Doneff said, the sale was canceled for the first time he can remember in its 40 years because of COVID-19. The sale, he said, is the biggest fundraiser of the year that helps the nonprofit support the Beaufort, St. Helena and Lobeco branch libraries. In 2019, the nonprofit was able to raise over $20,000 from the sale to support the three local branches. While their support is not a “huge” part of the branches’ funding, Doneff said, it is “critical.”
“We certainly understood the situation,” Doneff said. “I think the committee is just really raring to go to put on the biggest, best book sale we’ve had in a really long time since we did miss last year.”
There are more than 900 boxes full of books waiting to be unloaded and categorized for eager readers to buy starting Friday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. at Beaufort’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, Doneff said. The sale will take place over the course of three days, and there will be a special “members only” preview sale from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Friday, Doneff said. Anyone who signs up to become a member and pays a $25 fee at the door can attend the preview sale.
The sale will have a variety of genres, Doneff said, and even some rare and collectible books. It runs until 8 p.m. Friday and resumes Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. All books will be half-priced Sunday, Doneff said.
“It’s our great hope that we get as many of those books as we can into readers’ hands, including lots of children’s books,” Doneff said.
As for what he is most eager to see at the sale, Doneff said, he wants to find a new spy novel or an audiobook.
“I’ve still got a couple of Conroy books that I want to pick up,” Doneff said. “There’s still plenty of good reading that needs to be done.”
