Wilton Library’s Annual Gigantic Book Sale April 26-29

The books are organized neatly in rows on tables and bookcases from one end of the Book Cellar to the other, poised for Wilton Library’s Annual Gigantic Book Sale Fundraiser, opening on Saturday, April 26 and running through Tuesday, April 29.

The sale of more than 75,000 items will encompass the Book Cellar, the Brubeck Room and the gallery. Early buyers will be admitted Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m. for a $15 admission fee; beginning at 9 a.m. the public will be let in free of charge with no admission fee for the remaining day.  

The sale continues until 5 p.m. on Saturday; on Sunday, the hours are noon to 5, Monday 10 to 5 with items marked half-price and Tuesday, 10 to 3 items are $5 per bag. 

Saturday and Sunday feature a silent auction of rare and collectible books.  The Rotary Club of Wilton will be selling hot dogs and sodas on Saturday during lunchtime with proceeds benefiting the library.  

According to Pat Gould, one of the chairs of the event, “The sale is one of the largest in the area and volunteers work tirelessly throughout the year culling, cleaning, sorting and stacking for this all-important fundraiser for the library.”

The items are categorized in more than 50 different areas ranging from gardening to travel, mysteries to science fiction, and there is something for everyone, from toddlers to adult. 

Children will find picture books and chapter books; teens can sift through volumes of serial books and adults have everything from fiction to nonfiction, self-help books, histories, biographies, and more. Gently used books, DVDs, CDs, books on tape and CDs are all part of the offerings. 

Highlights from the list of rare and collectible books silent auction can be seen online at www.wiltonlibrary.org.  The selection includes gems such as a first edition of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms and Louisa May Alcott’s Little Men.

Lila Griswold, the third chair remarked, “This was such a tough winter, but we think we benefited because people who were cooped up took the time to comb through their basements and attics and we seem to have more great donations as a result.”

Janet Zuckerman, another chair added, “Our volunteers work diligently scrutinizing every donation that comes to the library to ensure that it meets the quality that our buyers come to expect from us.  This is one of the reasons why this book sale is so successful for the library.”