Measuring Friends of CFPL book sale: Boxes of books, bundles of benevolence
We are thrilled to report that by every one of those measures, this year’s sale was a tremendous success.
There are any number of ways to measure the success of a Friends of the Acton Free Public Library book sale.
We can count the books placed into the hands of eager readers. We can count the hundreds of Acton residents, young and old, who went home with new treasures. We can count the teachers who participated in our teacher book giveaway, the extraordinary hours contributed by community volunteers, or the nearly $5,000 raised to support the Acton Free Public Library.
And we are thrilled to report that by every one of those measures, this year’s sale was a tremendous success.
But at the Friends, we prefer another metric: smiles.
Smiles from children clutching a newly discovered book. Smiles from lifelong readers finding an author they love. Smiles from teachers filling boxes with books for their classrooms. Smiles from neighbors running into neighbors, volunteers working side by side, and families discovering just how much fun can be found among tables and tables of books.
By that measure, we estimate the final tally at somewhere around 1 million.
Our book sale raised $4,900, put thousands of books back into circulation, and brought hundreds of people together around something that has always been at the heart of Acton: a love of books, learning, and community.
None of it happens without our volunteers, donors, teachers, shoppers, library staff, and the remarkable community that continues to show up for the Acton Free Public Library. To every person who donated a book, carried a box, staffed a table, brought a child, filled a bag, or simply stopped by to say hello: thank you.
We’ll happily count the dollars and the books. But the smiles are the number we’ll remember.
Matt Boger
Baker Avenue
President, Friends of the Acton Free Public Library
