By Jennifer Hubbard
For the Salisbury Post

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.” —Walter Cronkite 

On behalf of the Friends of Rowan Public Library, I’d like to thank those of you who have supported the Second Saturday Bookshop at West End Plaza. You who have shopped there know that it’s packed with books of all kinds — knowledge galore!

On May 8, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., we’ll feature a newly donated collection of World War II hardbacks, and in honor of Memorial Day, these and any other non-fiction books on the subject of war will sell for only $1 each. (Throughout the store, hardbacks are generally $2, and paperbacks are a $1.) That same day, we’re offering a back-alley sale, where you can fill a plastic grocery bag to the brim for only $5.

And don’t forget Mother’s Day! Books last longer than flowers.

If you love your library and haven’t yet signed on as a member* of Friends of RPL, ($10 for an individual or $15 for a family, per year), you can do so at the shop, open the second Saturday of each month, or at any library circulation desk. These memberships keep us going, and the bookshop helps, too. We’ve recently opened an online shop on eBay: buckheadbooks. Managed by my sister Sally Hawn, it offers rare and collectible books that have been donated to us. Sally notes that she’s delighted to volunteer for the library that helped shape her; thanks to our mom, we spent many hours in the children’s room at the main branch.

Here’s a beautiful thing: the money you spend in either shop goes right back to your local library, right back to that children’s room on West Fisher Street or to the new branch opening soon in Cleveland. That is the sole purpose of Friends of RPL. The library makes requests of us, and we deliver. For example, we currently fund the children’s summer reading program.

Should you have volumes you’d like to clear from your own shelves, we’ll take them on second Saturdays, the days and hours we’re open. Please pack them in boxes, and if you have more than you can carry, deliver them to the back of the mall and ring the bell by the door with our name on it. We kindly ask that you have someone with you who can do the heavy lifting. Our backs may be weak and weary, but our hearts beat strong for Rowan Public Library.

Jennifer Hubbard is president of the Friends of Rowan Public Library.

*What does a Friends membership give you? A monthly newsletter via email announcing library and Friends events, first dibs at our stock in November, and a darn good feeling inside.