Westport Book Sales is pleased to announce that on January 28, 2021, it is opening the Westport Book Shop, downtown Westport’s first ever nonprofit used book shop. This new source for high quality used books will be located at 23 Jesup Road, right across Jesup Green from the Westport Library.
Initially, Book Shop hours will be Thursday and Friday afternoons from 3pm to 6pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from Noon until 5 pm.
A Grand Opening will be held in the Spring.
Like the annual Westport Library Book Sale events, the Book Shop will offer something for virtually everyone, with more than 5,000 gently used and antiquarian books in over 40 categories, as well as a large selection of vinyl records, audio books, CDs and DVDs.
“Westport Book Shop is a huge stride forward in helping us fulfill our mission. In addition to selling books to support the Westport Library, the Book Shop will help our employees develop job and workplace social skills and facilitate greater interaction with the community,” said Westport Book Sale President Jocelyn Barandiaran.
She continued, “The creation of Westport Book Shop was made possible through the efforts of the book sale’s dedicated volunteer force, who have powered Library book sales for decades under the guidance of Mimi Greenlee and Dick Lowenstein, and through the generosity of our Book Shop’s founding donors, whose financial support and passion for the Westport community will help the Book Shop thrive.”
Westport Book Shop’s founding donors to date are: The Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, Inc., Eileen Lavigne Flug, Dan Levinson, Jeffrey Mayer and Nancy Diamond, Jocelyn and Walter Barandiaran, Linda Monteiro-Hopper and Scott Hopper, Robin and Brad Berggren, Rebecca L. Ciota, The Kail Family, The Michael M. Wiseman and Helen A. Garten Charitable Foundation, Abilis Community Foundation, The Betty R. and Ralph Sheffer Foundation, Craig Rebecca Schiavone, Westport Sunrise Rotary, Rita Allen Foundation, and Berchem Moses PC. The Book Shop is also grateful to the local law firm of Verrill, which donated nearly all of the store’s display bookcases.
Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer said, “The opening of the Westport Book Shop is an exciting new chapter in the successful almost thirty-year history of selling used books to support the Westport Library. Now, in addition to providing financial support for the Library, the Book Shop will also provide meaningful employment opportunities that will enrich the lives of adults and young adults with disabilities. The Library staff and Board of Trustees applaud this initiative, and are deeply appreciative of the volunteers and supporters who are bringing this vision to life.”
The Book Shop will also feature the “Drew Friedman Art Place”, an area of the store dedicated to exhibiting the work of community artists year-round, on a rotating basis. Miggs Burroughs, a Trustee of the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, and a founding member of the Westport Artists Collective, will curate these exhibits.
“Westport Book Shop is the epitome of a hyper-local, mom-and-pop community space. We are very excited about our collaboration with the local arts community, and we are grateful to Miggs, Nick Visconti and The Drew Friedman Foundation for their partnership,” said Westport Book Sale Vice President Linda Monteiro-Hopper. “We also plan to partner with and feature other Westport nonprofit organizations, throughout the year.”
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Westport Book Shop, and the Westport Library Book Sales, are operated by Westport Book Sale Ventures, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit enterprise with the dual social mission of supporting The Westport Library, while providing meaningful employment for adults with disabilities. In addition to the new Westport Book Shop, books are offered for sale online year-round on the book sale’s website, and at periodic annual book sale events.
Westport Book Sale Ventures welcomes volunteers for all aspects of its operations, from book donation receipt and sorting, to preparing for book sale events, to work in its online sales operation, and at the new Westport Book Shop. For more information, to get involved, or to make a donation, please visit www.westportbooksaleventures.org or send an email to info@westportbooksales.org