By Cynthia Whitty

The Friends of the Ashland Public Library will hold a “Drive-Buy” contact-free book sale in the Montenegro Square parking lot across from the library on Sunday, June 6, 1 to 3 p.m. Hard or soft cover books will be packaged in sealed paper bags; the contents of each will be a surprise. All books are gently used and in good condition, and every bundle is guaranteed to hold hours of entertainment for pandemic-weary readers. 

“Since we had such a successful first ‘drive-buy’ sale in December, we decided to do it again,” Jan Poppendieck, Friends’ book sale coordinator, said. “People were happy to have a safe activity to go to, and were more than happy to support our great library. Customers loved the idea of taking home a bundle of surprise books while supporting a good cause.”

Once again, bags will be pre-packaged according to genre, including fiction, biography/memoir, history and politics, health and family living, cookbooks, and sports. In addition, there will be a large variety of children’s selections packaged according to age. DVDs, CDs, and audio books will also be included. 

Adult bags of books and audio books will contain at least six titles; children’s bags will have at least 10 titles; and CD and DVD bags will contain 10 items per bag. All bags will be sold for $5 each, cash only. Due to the nature of this sale, no exchanges or refunds are possible. 

Following the Ashland Library practice of quarantining returned books for three days, bags will be packed and sealed at least three days prior to the sale. 

Customers will drive through the parking lot and select their genres. A volunteer will load the bags directly in the trunk or back seat of the car. A cashier will collect the cash payment through the driver’s window on the way out of the parking lot.

Once bags arrive home, customers can empty the contents, discard the bags, wash hands, and feel assured they have safely brought home a selection of unique and entertaining titles without ever leaving the safety of their car.

Proceeds from the book sale will support library programming, such as craft kits for children and adults, online family support programs, and acquisition of materials to meet the needs of the community. For changes in date due to inclement weather, visit the Friends’ Facebook page, www.facebook.com/FriendsoftheAshlandPublicLibrary.