Friends of the Aldrich Library Winter 2021 Auction

The Friends of the Aldrich Public Library’s popular winter banquet/auction is being replaced this year by an online auction featuring a variety of antiques, art, crafts, and books given by Friends members and community library supporters. The highlight of the auction will again be a homemade pie by Marilyn Blake who promises to bake whatever flavor the winner would like. Blake’s priceless pies have sold for $75 or more at past live auctions and, according to previous winners, are well worth every penny.

Twenty lots are available in the auction and can be bid on in a manner similar to eBay. Payment is via credit card/PayPal. A fun, friendly spirit of competition is the hallmark of online auctions, just as it is with live and silent auctions. Anyone may join in. If you don't see anything you want to bid on, the Friends also welcome donations in any amount.

A community tradition in Barre, the Friends’ 2020 winter banquet/auction attracted over 100 people at the Barre Elks just days before COVID-19 made it impossible for groups to meet. Unfortunately, the Friends were not able to hold their popular summer book sale, either. Meanwhile, the Aldrich Library staff developed unique services this year for the public, including virtual storytimes, book give aways, story walks in the town forest, curbside pickup, and more. The Friends supported all of these efforts and are optimistic about supporting programs in 2021, despite a current difficult fund raising environment.

While the winter banquet/auction usually relies heavily on donations from generous Barre businesses, Christine Litchfield, President of the Friends said that, “we don’t feel it’s right to ask local businesses and restaurants which are already stretched thin due to the pandemic.” She went on to say that more people can be involved in the online auction than normally come to the banquet/auction – “people can bid at any time of the day or night, even in their pjs!”

The Friends of the Aldrich Public Library, Barre, Vermont support programs and library materials for all ages, including weekly preschool storytime, Authors at the Aldrich, Senior Day, poetry slams, and more. We generally hold a winter banquet/auction and a summer booksale on the library lawn, with raffles and book sales in between. The Friends also support the library and staff in whatever ways possible to enrich library services to our community.