Our History

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For decades, we (the Friends) have been known for supporting our local library branch with weekly book sales in the Community Room. 

Every Monday at noon, a stalwart group of volunteers removed tables from storage closets, set them up along the perimeter of the library’s Community Room, and then began the assembly line process of passing columns of boxed books from the storage closet to the tables. At five o’clock, the end of their day, the volunteers reversed the process.

What happened in the room did not look like fundraising, but it was. All of the books sold were donated and all of the sales supported the library and its diverse array of programs. The Friends sold hardbacks for one dollar, trade paperbacks for fifty cents, and small paperbacks and children’s books for twenty-cents. 

Discussions of raising prices to increase revenue for the library were fruitless. Reneé Polsky and the volunteer organizers insisted our prices stay affordable for all.

Along with membership donations, the book sale donations supplemented the $400 annual program and activity allotment given to the branch librarian.  The weekly ritual, while joyous in the community camaraderie it engendered and the bargains it offered, was physically burdensome. Eventually the sales became too onerous.  

We thank the patrons who donated books, the book buyers, the library staff who helped with the weekly set up, and the volunteers who faithfully showed up on book sale Mondays and special book sale events. 

In 2020, amidst the covid pandemic, the Friends stayed active and began moving forward with plans to open a used bookstore in Chestnut Hill. The store, located at 84 Bethlehem Pike and known as Hilltop Books, opened in early 2021 and has been embraced by the community. In keeping with our mission, sales at Hilltop Books benefit the Chestnut Hill Library branch. We have ambitious plans for Hilltop and are excited to grow our program offerings with our new space. 

 As many of you know,  Renée Polsky died in September of 2019. Over the years, Renee served the Friends in many capacities – as President, Vice President, and the Book Sale Committee Chairperson. For many neighbors and library patrons, Renee was the face of the Friends. At the weekly sale, she made book recommendations, schmoozed with the regulars, and always, always had a joke to tell. Her commitment to the sale was rooted in her belief in the importance of a free library system. A former teacher, Renee believed entrance to the library was an entrance to understanding the world.