'Manual' labor by sweltering vols sets stage for library book sale

As several sweat-drenched volunteers unloaded thousands of books from a box truck, the temperature continued to climb. In the back of the truck, it was the kind of weather for which air conditioning was invented -- a sickly, sweltering blend of humidity, stagnant air and intense heat.

"If we had a breeze coming in it'd be nice," said Gage Dubose, a Staples High School junior.

Dubose stepped outside the truck for a moment, escaping the stuffiness but entering the direct sunlight. Dubose and the others were longing for air conditioning, or at least the shade provided by the tents scattered around Jesup Green. He had been unloading boxes full of books for several hours, and there was a still a lot to do. It was Monday, and everything had to be ready in time for the Westport Public Library's summer book sale by Saturday.

The volunteer effort behind one of the largest book sales in Connecticut is a 300-person operation. To field such a large team, every community resource is tapped. Youth groups, charitable organizations and sports teams are all contacted.

"We tell them you don't have to do a gym. You can do everything here physically," said Mimi Greenlee, a member of the nonprofit Friends of the Westport Public Library.

Some people are there because they're avid library patrons, such as a homeless woman who wanted to give back to the place she loves. Others wanted something to do in the dog days of summer. At least one person was there because he had court-mandated community service.

Leandrew Barrio expects his work at the library to take up about one-third of the 150 hours he's been ordered to do. His tasks for the book sale varied since he started that morning.

"Tables. Shelves. And then books. Tons of books," Barrio said. "They're still coming."

Despite the heat, he enjoyed the work and the camaraderie among the exhausted volunteers.

"If you just did it all by yourself it wouldn't be any fun," he said. "It'd also take a lot longer."

Fundraising for the future

This year's summer sale will be the largest in its 17-year history, with more than 100,000 books, CDs, records and movies. To house these items, extra tents were brought in and erected in front of the library. On Monday, most were empty aside from the tables. On Tuesday, the unpacking began.

Nobody knows exactly why more people have been donating, but library Director Maxine Bleiweis thinks it could be from people living in other towns who have heard about how well items sell at the library. Having a strong reputation can be a boon for the library's finances.

Bleiweis called the sale "critical."

"The income from the book sales provides the funds to make all the [library] programs available," she said.

Approximately 1,000 programs are offered annually at the library, including visits from specimens at the Maritime Aquarium and numerous authors. Not all the programs are free to host, so there are a number of unique items on sale that could attract serious book collectors and help keep those programs running.

"¢ Several first editions (Catcher in the Rye and Willa Cather's first book of prose, The Troll Garden) and a very scarce second edition of Napoleon by Georges Montorgueil.

"¢ International Military Tribunal Nuremberg: Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal, November 1945-1 October 1946. Complete in 42 volumes, in English.

"¢ Competitive Designs for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. Da Capo 1982 reprint of the 1890 original publication. Oversized (c. 12x17) presentation copy signed by the Rev. James Morton Parks, who wrote the new introduction.

"¢ Life in the West of Ireland. Drawn and painted by Jack B. Yeats (brother of William Butler Yeats). Dublin 1912. First trade edition.

"¢ The International Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Arts. 10 volumes, 3/4 leather-bound, from 1909 through 1912.

"¢ A large collection of signed mystery novels for less than $6 from authors such as Mickey Spillane, Elmore Leonard, Mary Higgins Clark, Carl Hiassen and others.

Beating the heat

Once the truck was unloaded, the volunteers took a short break. Cold water and hot pizza were waiting in a tent. Gage sat on the ground. A minute later he was lying down. Everyone was quiet as they munched on the pizza. It was too hot to talk.

A breeze from the Saugatuck River swept across the parking lot and under the tent, much to the relief of Laura Blair. After unloading the truck moments earlier, she was savoring the breeze with her arms wide open.

"What a big difference from the truck to here," she said, looking toward the river.

The break lasted a couple more minutes.

"I'm going back to the truck," she said.

The resting volunteers all followed her. There was work to be done before the big day.

The Westport Public Library's summer book sale on Jesup Green takes place Saturday and Sunday, July 17 and 18, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Monday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., everything is half-price. All items are free on Tuesday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cash donations welcome. Admission and parking is free. No sales tax and the site is accessible to the disabled. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.