Click here for a quick visual tour of the Book Sale Site as it is shaping up ahead of the sale, October 12-16.

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The SignUP schedule for Sales Days training and tasks is now available. Please go to the Volunteer page for more information.

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If you have way too many cloth bags, and would like to be rid of some, the Friends of the GPL book sale could sure use some for the upcoming sale. Please ensure that they are in reasonable shape and clean. You can drop them off during donation hours, Monday-Saturday between 2pm and 4pm. Last day for donation drop off is September 19.

Thank you!

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We are thrilled to announce that the FGPL have found a site for our book sale, this year from October 12 to 16!

The sale will be held at the same address as in recent years, 69 Huron St., but in a different, smaller portion of the building (8,000 sq. ft., down from 30,000 sq. ft. in past years). We are working hard to make this smaller area functional. With regret we do not have space to accept and offer everything we have in the past, so would appreciate your help by observing the Donation Guidelines.

Volunteers are always needed! Please visit the Volunteer Page to Sign Up to help set up the sale space, sort donations, or clean up when the sale is over.

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The Friends of the Guelph Public Library mourn the recent passing of our staunch friend, Alan Pickersgill. Alan passed away after a fight with cancer on February 3, 2021. From his obituary in Guelph Today, “Alan was a writer and photographer. He was a voracious reader and knew the value of public libraries to their communities.” Alan was also an Executive Member and Treasurer of the Friends of the Guelph Public Library for many years. He played a crucial role in making the annual book sales successful. Anyone fortunate enough to have known Alan will remember his ever-present smile, mischievous sense of humour, and deep commitment to social justice. The sympathies of the Friends are with Lynne and his family.   [Photo credit – Guelph Today]

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Did you miss the Giant Book Sale as much as we did?

October just doesn’t seem right without it!

Book sale profits have grown every year for the past 14.  After expenses, most of the revenue is invested in the Guelph Community Foundation with the intention that when the City finally breaks ground on the new main library the Friends of the Library will make a substantial gift to the Library.

Presently, the investment totals nearly $900,000.  Had the 2020 book sale taken place, there is little doubt we could have put it over $1,000,000!  What an accomplishment that would have been in this sad year!

If you are one who reviews you charitable givings at this time of the year with a view to your year-end tax situation, please consider donating money you would have spent at the Book Sale, to the Friends of the Guelph Public library, to be added to the investment.

It works best for us if you make your donation through Canada Helps. You will receive a tax receipt immediately.

Covid willing, the Giant Book Sale will be back next year.  In the meantime, please consider this alternative.

Thank you!

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By an 8-5 vote, Guelph City Council voted on October 7 in favour of proceeding with the new main library project. Read all about it here.

Thanks to everyone who wrote letters, spoke to the Councillors, or delegated at the recent meetings. Your overwhelming show of support was invaluable in moving this project forward.

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On October 5 and 7 City Council will meet to accept the staff recommendation report  to proceed with the new alternative location plan for the downtown Guelph Public Library. In recent days there has been some concern that some members of Council will try to re-open the debate about its affordability, aiming to reject the new proposal based on its cost.

Now more than ever your support for this project is needed. Please speak up and have your voice heard!

Write a letter to the Mayor and City Council indicating your support and send it to clerks@guelph.ca before 10am on Friday, October 2. If received before then your letter will be included in the Council’s package of correspondence for this meeting.

The meetings will be streamed live at guelph.ca/live and on Facebook. While the Committee of the Whole meeting starts at 2 p.m. on Monday, October 5 there are agenda items the Committee will work through before debating and deliberating on the Baker District report, so you may want to tune in a little later in the afternoon.

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There is, unfortunately, misinformation circulating.  Please do what you can to disseminate this correction.

The new main library is a key anchor of the planned Baker Street development.  That has not changed.  When the Baker Street redevelopment proceeds, the Library will proceed.  The Library was NEVER dependent upon Federal funding.  City staff recommended a funding plan based on development charges, proceeds of sale of the existing library and property taxes. This was approved by Council on September 16, 2019, https://guelph.ca/wp-content/uploads/council_agenda_091619-revised.pdf

Council authorized staff to apply for Federal funding but the funding strategy put forward by City staff did not factor in funds from other levels of government.  Any funding from the Federal government would have been a bonus!  Over $16 million of Development Charges is available and was factored into the strategy.

The funding plan is in place.  The project will proceed with no additional tax burden on citizens beyond what has been incorporated into the Baker Street Redevelopment Project from the beginning.

There will be information coming to Council in early October. We will need your help and support to continue to move this important community project forward.

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The steering committee of the Friends of the Guelph Public Library Giant Book Sale has taken the devastating decision that, to protect the health of volunteers and the sale’s many, many supporters, the 2020 sale must be cancelled.

This is particularly disappointing this year, as the committee had hoped that profits from the 2020 sale would put the gift-for-the-new-library investment over $1 million.

The Friends of the Library appreciate sincerely the community support for this event over the past 14 years, and the fact that that support mirrors community support for the Library as an institution and Guelph’s need for a new main library facility.

The Giant Book Sale WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR.

If donors are able to retain potential book donations to 2021, the committee would be very grateful.

Those wishing to continue to support this worthy cause by donating some of the money they might have spent at the sale in 2020 can do so through The Friends website. Look for the “Donate Now” button on the home page.

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