A Beautiful Day for The Community Librarys Annual Book Sale Basket Raffle

COBLESKILL-September 20th, Friends of the Community Library member, Sally Stroh, said how lucky she felt to have such a beautiful day for their biggest fundraising event of the year. The Annual Book sale included a basket raffle with 48 donated baskets, and a wide variety of books to purchase by donation; Stroh highlighted gardening and craft books, also available were books about health & fitness, religion, children and adult fiction & nonfiction, adult paperbacks, travel & photobooks, cookbooks, children’s chapter books, young adult, old paperbacks, and boxes with books for teachers and with movies, CDs, and audio books. Stroh noted people were very generous with their book donations of stories they’ve read and enjoyed and cleaned out from their collections.

Those who visited Inside the Library were offered free ice cream and coffee, and outside families could play bean bag toss and draw with sidewalk chalk.

Patty L. was also delighted by the beautiful day and said, “This is a fantastic library and people who work here are exceptional.” Patty was in attendance to have fun looking through books for new ideas and to enter the basket raffle.

Amberly G. frequents the Community Library and its programs. Amberly recalled having lots of fun at last year’s Annual Book Sale, and had come out again this year because of a love of reading and added, “I really like supporting the library!”

One attendee with a stack of James Patterson books for his mom said he was back again this year after getting a bunch of books last year for a great deal. His family tries to come every year and his wife was excited for this year’s basket raffle, saying of the event, “There’s a little something for everyone!”

Rose Walker explained that The Friends of The Community Library is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help fund activities not otherwise available to the reading public by extending what the Cobleskill Library can offer beyond what they have to work with within their Town budget. 

The Friends of The Community Library worked hard sorting all the donations, and new Friends volunteer of only a few months, Melissa Young, continued to keep the tables looking nice while the Book Sale was running. “I love books, that’s why I joined,” enthused Young. 

Walker and Stroh also shared gratitude for the Cobleskill-Richmondville football team, coached by Ed Hantho, who came before the Sale began to help set up, as well as the volunteers that were coming after the Sale to help break everything down. 

According to Stroh, those interested in also joining The Friends of The Community Library as a member and as a volunteer for specific events, can fill out a form in the Community Library. Book donations for their ongoing book sale by donation always available in the Library’s basement can be given at the front desk. Library Director, Kimberly Zimmer, confirmed that some of the leftover Annual Book Sale books will be added to that ongoing basement sale. 

Also organized by The Friends of The Community Library will be a new fundraiser idea by Jody Pugh that will take place from 5-8 PM on November 14th. While the basket raffle has been conducted for at least 40 years, Walker said November’s first-time fundraiser idea will be an opportunity to bid on old Library roof slates that will be decorated by local artists.

Follow The Community Library on Facebook, through their website (www.communitylibrarycobleskill.org), and they are located at 110 Union Street.

The Community Library’s Books Sale date this year was chosen back in Spring, confirmed Friends of the Community Library President Cathy Weidman. So, running on the same day as this year’s Cobleskill Garage Sale day was a coincidence. 

Schoharie Library Program Director, Jennie Mosher, confirmed that The Schoharie Library, “Has always scheduled the book sale on yard sale day (at least, for several decades), and rents out space on the lawn to anyone else who wants it. Schoharie normally gets thousands of people coming to the yard sales, and the neighborhood around the library usually has sales at several homes, so that helps draw plenty of potential customers.”

Middleburgh Library always holds their annual book sale the same weekend of the Middleburgh Rotary ‘s Annual Arts and Crafts Festival and said, “I think it makes so much sense to plan these library book sales on the same day as something that brings a lot of people to your town. We have been very successful doing it on the day of the Middleburgh Craft Fair!” They also maintain an ongoing book sale by donation all year long in their Book Nook by the circulation desk.

Sharon Springs Free Library Director Meghan Keaney said their The Great Book Giveaway is also paid by donation to support the Library, trustees and volunteers make baked goods, and it runs the first Saturday in April, so, “The next giveaway will fall on April 4th, 2026.” Keaney said The Sharon Springs Free Library will usually start advertising about accepting donations at the end of February.

A recent Community Library Facebook post indicated their Sale also happened during Constitution Week, which began on September 17th, and they invited readers of all ages to check out their reference sources to learn more about the document and how to protect the rights it champions.

Cobleskill Community Library’s upcoming October event calendar shows storytimes are Wednesdays at 10:30 AM. Their next Tabling Tuesday will be Oct. 7th 11 AM- 1 PM with the Hiscock Legal Aid Society, and their reoccurring events include Paws for Reading, All Ages Craft Buffet, Fan Favorites Book Club, Teen Dungeons & Dragons, Adult D&D, Lego Club, Anime Club, Trivia Night, and Senior Planet presentations. They offer programs for writers with their Short Fiction Workshops and new Day Writers events. Festive pumpkin activities include the All Ages Pumpkin Painting Party on Oct. 18th from 11 AM- 1 PM and Needle Felted Jack-o-Lanterns (ages 18 +) on Oct. 22nd at 6 PM.

Community members came out to support their local library. In front of The Friends of the Community Library banner, Julia Walter (Trustee and Friend of the Community Library)  and her daughter Alicia Nicholls displayed a couple of the children’s books that were available for families to find at the Annual Book Sale. There were 48 donated baskets raffled off that day. And thanks to Cathy Weidman (Friends of the Community Library President) for the names of those who were there with you making the event so wonderful: Kim Zimmer, Amy Mele and the other Librarians; Peg Grippin, Linda Goodreau, Kate Elder, Brian Elder, Liz Hackney, Julia Walter, Rose Walker, Wendy Wilson, Mike Walchko, Dave Pugh, Melissa Young, Tom Stroh, Leslie Rigley.  Officers: Kim Walchko (VP); Jody Pugh (Secretary); Margaret Daffledecker (Treasurer).

Kathleen Spaulding enjoying the Cobleskill Library’s Annual Book Sale ice cream and book finds with daughters Cheyenne (giving a thumb’s up), Audrey (who was excited to find the board book titled, My First Words, to read to her baby doll and lots of Barbie books), and Savannah (who proudly proclaimed, “I’m a big reader!”)

Photo and caption provided by Rose Walker: These are the “heavy lifters” who made short work of moving tables, book shelves, and many, many boxes of books for the 40th annual used book sale by The Friends of The Community Library in Cobleskill. Many thanks to the Cobleskill-Richmondville football team! Yay, team! Back row (l-r): Coach Ed Hantho, Ben Walrath, Landon Hulslander, Chase Wrubal, Chase Henry, Micah Hantho, Coyden Cernaskaus, Coach John Henry, Coach Nick Yatrakis. Front row (l-r): Colin McCormack, Annojh Faulkner, Croix Seresky, Gio Barragan, Collin Yorke, Landon Yatrakis, Logan Hulslander, Eli Barr, Cameron Jackson.