In previous years, the Friends of the Malden Public Library has held many book sales to bring the community of Malden together through books.
The Friends of the Malden Public Library has been a non-profit organization since 2018 and has brought many people together. They are not only friends of the library but friends amongst themselves.
“We’re the Friends of the Library, but we’re friends amongst ourselves. So if we have people who are out sick, for example, I may stop by and drop them off books, or we might call them and say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ Or send them an email–so kind of take care of the community, taking care of the library, but it’s just a very caring organization, so we can take care of each other,” said President of the Friends of the Malden Public Library Mary Ellen O’Meara.
All members of the “Friends” are volunteers and enjoy giving back to the community; they help promote the Malden Public Library.
The book sale was held on February 10th, in the basement of the Malden Public Library; seemingly small, but once entering the room, it was a sight to see.
When the book sale initially commenced, people flooded the doors of the basement constantly going in and out and checking out the many things that were sold. Children overtook the aisle of the picture books, like Dr. Seuss, and came prepared.
Many of the books, about 30,000 in total, were donations given to the Friends organization to be able to have a variation of many book options there was everyone to consider.
The book sale had aisles and aisles of shelves containing many books, CDs, & DVDs. There were massive collections of different shows and movies, including classic series like The Gilmore Girls, Friends, and Dexter.
At the checkout point where people paid, free reusable bags of all different sorts were given out to people who did not have bags. For example, many walked out with as many as 15 full bags of books.
As Malden has people from many different places, and everyone has their language or lifestyle, this book sale did not fail at inclusivity.
Not failing to recognize the many different languages spoken within the community of Malden, there were special sections with rows of books accommodating non-English Speaking people.
Events like these that are open to everyone bring a sense of togetherness. Members of the Friends express how open-armed they are, and just love looking out for each other when one needs it most.
When asked about being a member and the feelings that come with being part of the organization, President of Friends, O’Meara said, “It’s just wonderful. It’s just one of those feel-good things. It makes you happy. Yeah. And I mean, even when we come down to the book room, between book sales, just to come clean up and everything, you can spend hours down here ‘cause you’re surrounded by books.”
As Valentine’s Day had been coming up, books related to romance were especially cheaper than the rest, to recognize the special day to some.
To sign up to be part of the Friends of the Malden Public Library non-profit organization, memberships vary. For individuals it’s $15, seniors or students is $10, family registration is $30, and the lifetime membership is $500. Being part of the Friends consists of meetings, fundraising, volunteering, and much more. For more information visit here.
