Letter: Beaufort book sale builds a community

Community spirit in Beaufort never fails to amaze me. Last weekend I witnessed another grand show of character and support when volunteers made the Friends of the Beaufort Library's annual book sale another huge success.

A group of Marines helped with setup and takedown at the pavilion on the waterfront -- an invaluable service. Local Boy Scouts were there each night to sleep with the books and make some sales. They helped rearrange tables and took in about $1,000, which is hard to do when books are priced at $2 and less.

Barb Banus, a longtime supporter of the Friends of the Beaufort Library and the book sale, talks her two sisters into driving to Beaufort so the three of them can volunteer for this. They work every shift for three days with an hour off for lunch -- that's 20 hours of devotion. They've been doing this for 30 years.

Another set of sisters, Patsy Hand and Geni Flowers, have dedicated decades to the library, and yet they still come to volunteer for the book sale. Another 80-plus volunteers made this possible. It was truly amazing to see the dedication and hard work.

The Friends support our libraries, which helps build a stronger community. Ask any librarian for more information about the Friends.

Marilyn Harcharik

Beaufort

Editor's note: The writer is president of the Friends of the Beaufort Library.

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Letter: Beaufort book sale builds a community."