AAUW prepares for final book sale

For the final time, the local members of the American Association of University Women are unloading and sorting hundreds of donated books.

Since 1970, their annual book sale has helped fund college scholarships and given back to various community organizations, according to a history provided by longtime AAUW member Pat Rice.

The booksellers have received support over the years, ranging from prison inmates helping unload books to businesses offering freebies in exchange for a book donation.

But the ladies of the local chapter of the organization that promotes education and equity for girls and women are growing older. They’ve decided this book sale that runs Friday through Sunday will be their last.

“A lot of us are in our 80s,” said Liz Hartman, as she pulled books out of boxes and placed them on tables by genre.

Even with some help from the Faribault High School tennis team and Minnesota Correctional Facility residents on work release, Hartman said the long hours of preparing for the sale take a physical toll.

As they prep for the final time, the AAUW ladies are celebrating the sale’s history and the impact that it has had.

An AAUW committee calling themselves the Earthtenders started the sale, not only as a fundraiser but also with two other objectives, according to Rice. They aimed to keep used books out of the landfill and to get affordable books into the hands of locals, particularly children.

After the sale, leftover books have been donated to schools, the prison and many community organizations. Some were kept to try to sell again the following year, thanks to a donated storage space at the Congregational Church of Faribault.

The sale moved through several locations over the years, including the old NSP building, the Great Outlet Store and the old armory, according to Rice’s history. For a time, they were in the basement of Buckham Memorial Library, but hauling a growing number of books down those steps got to be a challenge. Since the late 1990s, the Faribo West Mall has donated space.

A few of the donated books have turned out to be first editions, to be signed by the author or hold other surprises, Rice noted. Many bookmarks have also been found, as well as makeshift bookmarks that have ranged from airline tickets to food to a gift card.

Hartman said she won’t miss the long prep hours, but she will miss the sale days.

“It’s so much fun seeing people come in,” she said.

The reward, she said, was seeing the excitement on their faces when they found a long-sought-after book, or realized they could afford to load up a cartful of books.

The first sale in 1970 raised $94. Over the last 25 years, it has netted over $50,000, according to Rice. They’re hoping for a strong final year to build up their coffers to be able to continue to fund scholarships and support local organizations.

“AAUW is thankful for all of the loyal customers, donors, volunteers, site sponsors and past and present members.” Rice wrote. “AAUW will continue to be an active voice in the community and will give back in ways consistent with our mission.”