The front and back main parking lots at Reed Intermediate School were filled ahead of the start of the 44th Annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library (Friends) Book Sale on July 13.

Attendees were tucked under the shade of the school’s main entry overhang — purchased and numbered tickets in hand — waiting for the opening to be announced. Many carried cardboard boxes, reusable shopping bags, and other means of carrying away the books they planned on purchasing. A large hiking bag was spotted within the crowd.

Inside, Friends volunteers — wearing light blue T-shirts designed by Newtown resident Tracy Van Buskirk for this year’s sale — walked between rooms, checking tables one more time, setting up payment stations, eating breakfast, and readying everything for the awaiting crowd.

Publicity Chair Toni Earnshaw walked through the event’s rare books collection, situated in an art room at the school. Ahead of the crowd of buyers entering the space, the books were pristinely laid out. John Renjilian, a rare book expert who volunteers each year for the book sale, stood nearby a copy of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, published in 1843, a first edition. An atlas with a John Melish map of the United States from 1821 was also in the room.

“Every one of these books has a story,” Ms Earnshaw noted.

As previously reported by The Newtown Bee, this year’s book sale featured 120,000 items, all organized in Reed’s cafetorium, gymnasium, lobby, and classrooms. Setup began on July 3 at Reed, and volunteers work throughout the year to prepare donated items for the event.

“A very long list of generous” supporters made this year’s book sale possible, Ms Earnshaw reflected. People, businesses, and restaurants all donated time or different supports, like food for the volunteers.

Just before the front doors of the school opened, Book Sale Chair Denise Kaiser gathered all of the volunteers in the lobby.

“Thank you to everyone who worked so hard behind the scenes,” Ms Kaiser said.

Since “we recently commemorated the 75th anniversary of D-Day,” Ms Kaiser based her pep-talk for her “troops” on General George S. Patton. Her version of a speech from the film Patton, included more book references than the original.

“Every person has a job to do, and they must do it,” Ms Kaiser said, adding that the sorters need to sort books, the movers need to bring material to the school, and every person works toward the end result.

She wore a military-like jacket for her pep-talk.

“You know how I feel. I’ll be proud to lead you wonderful volunteers in battle anytime, anywhere,” she concluded.

The crowd could be heard from the line outside as she neared the end of her talk. Minutes later, the doors opened, and people streamed in through the main entrance. Most people surged toward the cafetorium or the gymnasium; some made their way toward the rare books or music selections.

“This is like Christmas morning,” one person said, sorting through a section in the nonfiction area.

A few days later, on July 16, when book shoppers could purchase $5 bags to fill with books, Ms Kaiser reflected that every day since July 13, “eager book buyers were waiting” outside for the start of the book sale.

She called the second to last day of the sale “a wonderful day yet again.”

The 44th Annual Friends of Booth Library Book Sale ran from July 13-17.

Friends of the C.H. Booth Library is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing financial and material support for C.H. Booth Library. For more information about Friends of the C.H. Booth Library, see its website, boothbooksale.org, or e-mail boothbooksale@yahoo.com.