Books for Barton Book Sale

Wow, what a weekend! We want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who attended our Books for Barton book sale in September and October and contributed to raising funds for more free community programming in Barton Village. And of course to everyone who donated books, to the wonderful volunteers who gave up their time to help out, to all the businesses who helped make it happen, and to everyone who spread the word. Our hearts are warmed by all the love and support we received from the community from the moment we first had the idea to do a big fundraising book sale. We didn't quite anticipate how much hard work it was going to be -- this former bookseller should have known better! -- but it was so worth it to see the community come together in support.

We're especially grateful to property owners Malleum for letting us use the space at 337 Barton free of charge, to Crumbled for letting us borrow their power to light up the space, to our amazing volunteers, and to all the community members who lugged bags and boxes of books to our office or neighbouring businesses to support the cause! We raised over $700 to go towards free community programming like our outdoor movie nights and the Barton Village Festival, and even more importantly, we got to know so many of our neighbours.

For a while there our office was so crammed full of books that we could barely move around, but it was worth it to have the opportunity to meet and chat with so many members of our community! We got the chance to explain to area residents what the BIA is and what we do in the community, and were delighted that so many people expressed a desire to get involved, whether with neighbourhood beautification initiatives, volunteering for events, or helping us raise funds. 

The number one question people asked was "When is this event happening again?" Truth be told, we'd initially planned it as a one-time thing, but in light of the community response, we've reconsidered. So...stay tuned for the next installment of Books for Barton, coming soon!