Hundreds of Book Sale patrons line up before the opening cannon fires. Thousands attend this annual sale - one of the largest in the entire U.S.

The Pequot Library annual Summer Book Sale has come a long way since the first official book sale at Pequot Library in 1961. That year the sale consisted of 6,000 volumes and it took three weeks to sell everything. Two men, Stanley Crane, then director of the library, and Fred Woods, former owner of The Open Book Shop, sorted and priced donated books and library discards while receiving assistance from a handful of volunteers.

The Sale was a village event at first, attracting no more browsers than the Auditorium could accommodate comfortably. From the beginning, however, the Library set high standards for the material to be sold; the Sale’s reputation as a treasure trove garnered more and better donations and drew larger crowds. By 1981, a tent was required for additional space. Each year, attendance grew and sales and proceeds soared, ultimately providing nearly fifteen percent of the Library’s annual operating budget.

The Pequot Library Book Sale has become a well-loved Fairfield area tradition.” People come from all across the country in the hopes of finding just the right book or simply to have a great time talking to other avid book lovers in a beautiful setting.

This year Pequot Library’s celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Book Sale. The 50th Anniversary Sale itself runs from Friday July 24th at 9:00 a.m. through Tuesday, July 28th. It takes place on the grounds of the Library in Southport, Connecticut, and it promises to be our best sale ever.

There will also be an exhibit in the Library for the month of July on the history of the Sale along with some of the ephemera and non-book items that have come in with donations over the years, but were not included in the Sale.

As a special feature of this year's Sale we have two "50 for the 50th" auctions of rare, unusual and wonderful material. At 6:30PM on Friday, July 23, we will feature approximately 50 books / lots to be sold via live auction. Starting on Thursday July 22, we will also open for sale via silent auction the remaining lots. The silent auction will close at 3pm on Saturday July 24. The following documents describe the items currently up for those sales. These items may change, so check back often.

The Book Sale is the biggest fund-raiser of the year at Pequot Library. The Library is a true treasure for all of Southern New England. It brings literature, music, art and learning into the community. It is a place where children are welcome and safe, and introduced to the magic of reading. It exemplifies what a great library should be. The Library serves the town of Fairfield and beyond, into Westport, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and the entire region. The Library is one of Connecticut’s architectural gems and is the home of countless musical programs, lectures, and forums about the pressing issues of the day.