Although things have opened back up as the pandemic wanes, the Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) will not resume their monthly used book sales in the basement of Bemis Hall.
The FOLL funds all of the library’s programming for children and adults, museum passes and special equipment (items that are not included in Lincoln’s budget). When the book sales stopped in spring 2020, the group turned to another method of collecting and selling donated books to fund its library programs. The materials are picked up by the Bay State Book Company, which sells them online and returns a portion of the proceeds to FOLL.
Somewhat to the FOLL’s surprise, that method is now yielding almost as much income (about $600 a month) as the old-fashioned book sale did — and with a fraction of the effort. Volunteers (mostly seniors) used to put in a total of about 100 hours a month in organizing the donated books and running the monthly book sale, involving a fair amount of physical labor.
“We’re actually getting more books than we did before,” when people dropped off donations in a wooden bin in the Bemis Hall foyer, FOLL book sale manager Cathy Moritz said. “We’re very happy this has worked out.”
Still, it’s a loss of a Lincoln tradition.”It was a fun thing for a number of people in town,” said Moritz, adding that at least one child in town came to the book sale every month. “It’s sad.”
Moritz expressed gratitude to Larry O’Connor of the Bay State Book Company, which provided the watertight metal collection bins normally costing $1,400 apiece for free. The bins are located in the Lincoln Station parking lot, Lincoln Gas & Auto on Route 117, and Tracey’s Service Station, which has resulted in donations from a new source: commuters and others on Route 2.
People can drop books in good condition, as well as CDs and DVDs (secured with rubber bands or in grocery bags), in the bins at any time. Books that can’t be sold for various reasons are donated to prison libraries, police book drives, laundromats and other organizations — nothing goes into the waste stream.
The book sale formerly operated in the Bemis basement, which was renovated in 2016 for the Council on Aging and Human Services. The FOLL’s space is now used for medical equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs that residents can borrow, but the group is hanging onto its rolling book carts in case they need them in the future.
The FOLL also sells a few books donated by members and their associates from a cart in the library breezeway. Used books are $1 or $2 each, and buyers are asked to bring small bills (the cash box only takes cash or checks, and the librarians cannot make change).
No more overdue book fines
In an unrelated development, the library’s Board of Trustees recently voted to stop charging fines on overdue materials, with the following exceptions:
- Items from the Library of Things collection
- Museum passes
- Interlibrary loans from outside the Minuteman Library Network
The trustees made the move in recognition of the American Library Association’s 2019 “Resolution on Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Inequity. In order for an item to be eligible for fine-free status, it must be checked out at the Lincoln Public Library. A bill for the full replacement cost will be automatically generated by the Minuteman Network if an item is not returned after 42 days after the due date. Once the item has been returned, all costs will be waived.
I oppose both these measures, and find them somewhat contrary to each other. Surely , the monthly book sale provides access to very affordable reading to many, both in Lincoln and in nearby towns . (As a broke college student with a bike, I frequently went to used book sales in nearby locations.)
On the other hand – are there really many Lincoln residents who are seriously impacted by paying fines for overdue books? It seems unlikely.
I understand the benefits of taking the book sales from Bemis to a more efficient organization. Surely some plan can be hatched that would allow some remnant to stay local. The library already has a cart with books for sale. Perhaps that could be expanded to include some donations.
Dear Marie-Therese —
The cart that has books for sale in the breezeway of the library is indeed run by the Friends of the Lincoln Library. Purchases from our carts fund the library’s programs and special services.
Thanks to everyone in Lincoln who has bought books from the carts in the library.
Cathy Moritz
FOLL Book Sale Director.