Bag of Books

Every summer Kent Memorial Library pulls out rows of tables, lines them up on the plaza in front of the former firehouse and begins to stock them with 20,000 to 30,000 used books, games, puzzles, CDs and other items donated by local residents.

The summer-long sale begins on Memorial Day weekend and closes on the third weekend of October, manned for three months by an army of volunteers who sort, restock and sell a continuing river of books.

“We’re number one in Connecticut for the number of volunteer hours given,” said library director Sarah Marshall noting that just in May, while setting up for this year’s summer-long book sale, volunteers logged 389 hours. On average during months when the annual sale is underway volunteers give 350 hours a month.

This weekend, the 2024 sale ends with the annual Bag of Books Sale on Saturday and Sunday, October 18th and 19th, from 10AM to 5PM. Anyone is welcome to buy a $10 paper bag donated by Ace Hardware and fill it to the brim with books.

Any remaining supplies will be offered free Sunday, October 20th. For more information call 860-927-3761 or email kmlinfo@biblio.org.

Kent Memorial Library is located at 32 North Main Street, Kent, Connecticut, 860-927-3761. Visit the link below for more information.