Books needed for fundraiser

Talk about it

Those piles of already read books sitting on your nightstand could do some good for the community. The Friends of the Robert Trail Library are once again collecting books for the organization’s book sale.

Through the month of March FORT will collect books, CDs and DVDs to sell. The sale will be held April 19 through April 21. The sale is FORT’s only fundraiser. Last year the group raised more than $3,000.

“We really appreciate the support we got last year,” said Jo Gilbertson, FORT president.

The Friends of the Robert Trail Library provides support to the library. In a time of shrinking budgets the friend group helps provide items and programming to enhance the library for everyone.

With the funds raised last year, the group bought five footstools and new chairs for the children’s area.

Gilbertson said the chairs in the children’s area were breaking at an alarming rate. FORT replaced the children’s chairs and bought two adult chairs to put in the area to try and remedy the problem.

To encourage people to read, the group gave away more than 300 children’s books during the Leprechaun Days parade and the Haunted Woods Trail. They also donated baskets for the library’s Winter Jackets reading program, which aims to get adults reading.

“We try to do things to get people to read,” said member John Loch.

Loch said the group is trying to collect as many books, CDs and DVDs as possible. No magazines will be accepted but anything else is fair game — hardcover, paperback, fiction, non-fiction, children’s books whatever you have to donate.

“We are accepting everything and anything,” said Loch.

Loch said the group started collecting books for this year’s sale shortly after last year’s. They have quite a few books already but the more they have, the better the sale will be.

Residents can drop off books at the Robert Trail Library. There is a box in the front hallway. In the coming weeks there will also be boxes placed in Fireside Restaurant, Suzie’s Kitchen, Starbucks and Caribou Coffee.

The sale will be held April 19-21. A Preview Day will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. April 19. Admission will be limited to paid members of FORT, or other residents who pay an entrance fee. Both the membership fee and the paid admittance fee are $10.

The sale will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20 and 21. Hardcover books will sell for $1 each. Paperbacks will be priced at $.50 each. CDs and DVDs will be $2. VHS tapes will be $1.

There will be a bag sale the last two hours of the sale on April 21. The cost for a bag of books will be $3.

Gilbertson said the group is always looking for new members. Membership forms are available at the Robert Library. For more information email Gilbertson at gilby2048@frontier.com.

Tags: news, rosemount, community