Leslie Bellmore and Sandy Greenberg at Hill Road Library.
by Jill Forman
The Friends of the Library bookstore at Foster Library, and the sale shelves at Hill Road Library, have been closed down for months due to COVID. This has been a loss to the community in several ways. People loved coming in, browsing, and finding book bargains. The libraries benefited from all revenues, for programming, supplies, and book purchases. The bookstore volunteers, and the customers, enjoyed the social interaction and being able to chat about books with others who value them.
Now, thanks to innovative thinking and a lot of hard work, the Friends once again offers gently-used books at good prices. Board members Leslie Bellmore, Mary Olson, and Sandy Greenberg have set up an online store, easily accessible through the Friends website (VenturaFriendsoftheLibrary.org). Booklovers can browse by genre or choose bags of books, order and pay securely, and pick up their selections locally. No waiting for packages, no shipping fees!
New selections are added daily, so customers are encouraged to check back often. Nothing is over $5; most children’s and youth books are $1. There are educational aids also. Holiday items will be added soon for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and so on.
For now, pickups are Tuesday from 1-3 and Saturday 10-12 at the Hill Road Library, 1070 South Hill Road (near the government center.) All county COVID protocols are strictly followed.
