To the Editor:

Once again, our community has come through with enthusiasm and good spirit to support the Friends of the Brown Library annual book sale at the Washington Civic Center. Thank you, all!

First, thanks to everyone for donating more than 24,000 books and music, from popular fiction to children’s, history to beautiful art and travel. We couldn’t have a sale without you!

Then, thanks to our amazing volunteers who come year after year to lend their muscles to load and unload, set up and carefully find each book its appointed place, and then come back day after day to be a cashier or a straightener or a guide for buyers looking for just the right book. You do it all with good humor and a contagious cheer we really appreciate!

And, of course, thank you to all our avid readers, book-buyers far and wide, young and old and in between, for coming to our sale. This year you purchased more than $19,000 to support Brown!

The Friends of the Brown Library depend on both our annual January sale as well as our summer sales at the Saturday Market on the waterfront to help Brown Library be one of Washington’s best resources — one each and every person in our community has open access to for learning, information, job and school assistance, personal improvement, entertainment and more. The Friends helps Brown fund programs for children, youth and adults, books and materials, computers and technology, furnishings and refurbishings. As a department of the City of Washington, Brown Library serves everyone in Beaufort County free of charge; even though budget cuts cross all departmental lines these days, the Friends are here to keep the library here for everyone, no matter what the economic situation. And we are thankful to friends like you for your generous and continuing help.

No matter what role you have played in our success, we hope you will become a Friend, too. The small membership donation of $15 a year is deliberately intended to allow everyone a chance to say, “I’m a Friend of Brown!” Find us online at www.friendsofbrownlibrary.com, and see for yourself what our success and yours is all about.

RACHEL V. MILLS
for Friends of the Brown Library