from Sarah Walsh, Development Director, Estes Valley Library Friends & Foundation

For many years, August signaled the annual summer used book sale. Now our “big book sale fundraiser” has a perfect year-round home at Cliffhanger Used Books. Stop by to see the selection—and the beautiful flowers outside. 

This Monday, August 9 is National Book Lovers’ Day. Books will be $1 store-wide at Cliffhanger (open 10 AM to 6 PM)! The store opens at 9 AM for Friends & Foundation members’ early-bird shopping. Not yet a member? Join online, or in advance at Cliffhanger.

August is a great time to reflect on many ways that Library Love brightens our community:

Right now, voting is underway for the next One Book One Valley. How have library donors made this reading celebration possible?

For 10 years, friends and neighbors have joined together to read and discuss a shared book, making new friends each time. Donor support funds extra copies of the book to be shared and re-shared among many readers. That support also underwrites the many program activities. Be sure to vote online before August 12.

The Library Building just celebrated 30 years of operation. How has the Friends & Foundation been part of that legacy?

Thanks to donors, the library facility adapts to the changing needs of the community, evolving  within its same square footage as 30 years ago. In recent years, donors funded the 2nd Floor improvements—including technology upgrades, the comfort of the Quiet Room, and the Makerspace, where creativity flourishes with hands-on tools and crafts.

What other library projects are being funded by the Friends & Foundation?

If you’re the parent to a young child, you can take home a Storybook Explorer kit, complete with a book and activity, or have 100 little readers mailed to your preschool child’s home. Are you an Adult reader looking for a hot new title? There’s a “Lucky Day” collection packed with bestsellers and the latest books creating buzz. These are all made possible by our generous community of library lovers.

Cliffhanger Used Books has many happy customers—including a high-volume customer recently. Tell us about that.

We’re grateful to all the shoppers at Cliffhanger, and for everyone who donates books. We couldn’t operate without the loyal volunteers staffing our cashier counter and sorting boxes of donations.

This year, the Stanley Hotel bought over 7000 books from Cliffhanger. These books are stocked throughout the hotel, including the newly-renovated Carriage House. It’s a win-win: books for their guests to enjoy, and proceeds supporting the Library Friends & Foundation.

What are the ways that people can make a gift and become part of this community of Library Love?

From the Library website, you can arrange a one-time gift. Or, for greater convenience, schedule a recurring gift, where an amount of your choosing is given automatically each month. It’s an easy, efficient way to give. 

The Library is connected to our community—listening, growing, and evolving. The Library Friends & Foundation provide the spark and magic to make that possible.