From My Shelf Books

Wellsboro's BookFest

October 16, 2010

Wellsboro's BookFest is a unique celebration of books, writing, reading, education and community literacy.

Wellsboro's BookFest combines the best of library used book sales with Book Festivals that showcase local, regional, and nationally-known authors.

AUTHORS: Our BookFest allows people to meet both self-published and more traditionally-published authors (most who make their homes in, or write about, Pennsylvania and New York states).

We hope to continue to provide a setting where children and adults, students and parents, readers and writers, can meet in an informal manner to discuss how books enrich our lives. During BookFest, authors have the chance to talk with the public in both casual conversation and with more organized readings or presentations.

Each author at BookFest has the option of being completely in control of his/her own cash box and sales for the day: that is, authors can opt to bring all their own inventory, and control all their own sales, without paying any additional percentage to the bookstore or to the Festival, beyond the initial reservation fee. Authors who prefer to have the bookstore handle their inventory for BookFest can make arrangements with From My Shelf on an individual basis.

If you, as an author, or author's agent, would like more information about appearing at Wellsboro's Bookfest, contact Kasey Cox at From My Shelf, at (570) 724-5793 or from_my_shelf@yahoo.com

THE USED BOOK SALE:

As a bookstore which handles new AND used books, we enjoy a brisk trade-in program (see "membership" for more details), as well as people who choose to donate their used books to our store. And, as every book lover knows, you can never have too many books, just not enough shelves!

So, as we continue to try to maximize our use of our space at 87 Main Street, we have found that we need an outlet for all of the wonderful overstock which flows through the bookstore. BookFest provides us with the opportunity to give back to the community in another way. A large portion of the proceeds from the sale of the used books at BookFest go to increasing the inventories of the libraries in the Wellsboro school district. Since the school librarians choose to order their books with us, we are able to provide them with deeply discounted books and oh-so-gently used copies of the books our students & teachers love.

THE 'WESPA' COMMUNITY LITERACY PROJECT:

Our local chapter of the Pennsylvania Educators' Support Staff Union is state-recognized for their active membership and numerous community-service projects. One of these community-service projects near & dear to our hearts is "WESPA" 's (Wellsboro Educational Support Professionals' Association) includes the distribution of hundreds of gently used children's books each year. WESPA takes donated children's books and purchases hundreds more, in an effort to put at least one free book into each child's hand at the community events sponsored during the annual Laurel Festival. Books are distributed at the Children's Health Day, the Pet Parade, and from WESPA's Laurel Festival Parade float.

During BookFest, WESPA holds a ticket-raffle for many donated and hand-crafted items. The money from this raffle supports their community literacy projects, as well as other community service projects they do. FMI: http://wellsboroesp.psealocals.org/

BOOKFEST #1: October 17th, 2009

On Saturday, October 17th, 2009, we co-sponsored our first BookFest, a large community literacy event. We partnered with the Wellsboro Educational Support Professionals' Association and the Wellsboro Teachers' Union to create a day completely focused on celebrating reading, literature, books, and writing.

The bookstore hosted a large used book sale, featuring thousands of books and lots of fantastic deals on our overstock. Tables full of these books took up the center part of the large space available at the Wellsboro Fireman's Annex.

Susan Beckhorn, children's author * Louise Young, author; Margie Gaffron, poet

Then, all around the outside of the room, we had 28 regional & local authors who were excited to spend a day talking to people about their books, their writing process, and the joy of reading. Authors sold & signed their own books. The educational support professionals' union held a "Chinese raffle", selling tickets for chances on a wide selection of donated goods and services, including at least one book from every author present.

Bill Robertson and Robert Yott, 2 authors who write about the Civil War era

The money raised benefits several area nonprofit organizations, the teachers' unions' community literacy projects, and the school library inventories.

Clifford, the librarian, reads to children

AND.... we're definitely doing it again next year! Most likely the same weekend, the Saturday after Columbus Day. Mark it on your calendar now! For interested authors, we can promise you an extremely low registration cost for an incredible amount of advertising and promotion!! We'll provide the crowds; you sell your books! Contact us for more information.