The countdown is on for the annual “Awesome Autumn” Fall Book Sale at the Wilton Library, which kicks off tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 30. From hardcovers to paperbacks to board books, more than 70,000 items will be available for sale this weekend, all made possible by donations from the community and a team of 40-plus volunteers who work year-round to sort, price, and promote the inventory. On Thursday, GOOD Morning Wilton dropped by the Library and spoke with three longtime volunteers who help spearhead this extraordinary project.
“It’s unique that we have this entire space,” said Book Sale Co-Chair Jan MacEwen, gesturing to the 6,000-square-foot lower level of the Library, which is dedicated to book sale operations. “People come from across Fairfield County, and as far as New York City and New England, because they know the way this is organized, you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.”
Jan and her husband Ed MacEwen have volunteered with the library in one capacity or another for more than 20 years. Ed joined the Board of Directors in the 1990s and now serves as art chairman, organizing all of the exhibitions that take place on-site. He was also the driving force behind the mural that runs the full length of the book sale wall, a work of art he designed himself and installed with the help of a team of local Wilton artists.
It was Ed who first encouraged Jan to get involved with the book sale effort, long before the mural and the Library renovation that gave the book sale its permanent home.
“Back then we were in an old garage on the property,” he said. “The mice were upstairs and the books were downstairs!”
During Jan’s tenure, the operation grew enormously in both scope and reputation. Today it is a year-round effort with four sale events, each with its own unique flair.
“The fall sale is all new offerings,” she explained. “After the spring and summer, we clear the inventory and start over.” She added that the holiday sale features books in pristine condition, suitable for gift-giving. The spring sale is the largest and includes works collected throughout the prior year, and the summer sidewalk sale focuses on light reads and paperbacks.
With Jan MacEwen handling the book and inventory side of the process, fellow volunteer Pat Gould focuses on the business side with a team of partners who organize publicity efforts and outreach for an increasingly complex operation.
“It started to feel like our jobs were getting in the way of our volunteer time!” said Gould, a retired teacher for the Wilton Public Schools and former Board Member for the Library.
Five years ago, the Library added online sales to the business, sorting certain books for sale on Amazon. And as the reputation of the book sale has grown, it has increasingly attracted professional book dealers who travel to take advantage of the early shopping window: 8-10 a.m. on Saturday, when more than a hundred shoppers typically line up for a chance to pay the $20 entry fee and gain a shot at the most coveted books.
In total, the book sales generate more than $100,000 in revenue annually, with all proceeds going to the Library’s operations. Caroline Mandler, Executive Director of the Wilton Library Association, called these volunteer-generated funds “essential.”
“We are truly grateful for our dedicated volunteers,” she said. “They are an incredible team that supports the work of the Library year-round. Plus, the Book Sale gives the community the opportunity to donate their used books — all for a great cause.”
So what happens after the fall sale closes on Tuesday, with the popular $5 per bag pricing window? Is there a celebration? Nothing formal, the MacEwens and Gould explained. Asked when the team of volunteers will start preparing for the holiday sale later this year, the three agreed that the work is an ongoing commitment, not one of fits and starts.
“We don’t prepare for sales and then take a pause,” Jan said. “We just keep doing our work!”
The story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jan and Ed MacEwen’s last name.