Every summer since 1954, one of the major events on the Orcas Island event calendar is the Library Fair. This coming Saturday, Aug. 9 from 10 to 4 p.m. at the Eastsound Village Square will be the 52nd annual fair. Though the first Library Fairs consisted of craft booths and books, additional elements have become fair traditions over time. This year’s event promises everything that annual attendees have come to expect. There will be booths offering a plethora of food, art, crafts and information; children’s activities, musical entertainment, the art and silent auctions, the quilt raffle and of course thousands of books.
James Lobdell, Chair of the Library Fair, says the donations of books have been incredible in both quality and quantity. “We have had thousands of donations of both high-quality fiction and non-fiction. Many are newer titles. The vast majority of fair goers are just looking for good reading material at a good price but we always have off-island dealers searching for treasures. Our volunteers are trying to do a better job of finding the really valuable books and setting aside a table just for them. But as in previous years, there will be collector’s prizes marked at dirt-cheap prices for the savvy and the lucky. Our sorters just recently found a first edition valued at several hundred dollars,” Lobdell said.
For Lobdell, as for many, the fair is a family tradition. This is his fourth year as Library Fair chair but his connection to the fair reaches back to his grandmother, Dorthea (Dot) Bolles, who was one of the fair founders along with Bea Cook. “I was just conceived, at the first, and my first, Library Fair. My grandmother was a volunteer at the library up until her death. My mother was a volunteer, my wife is a volunteer and my niece and nephew are volunteers,” Lobdell said.
Tom Maiuro, the vendor booth organizer, says the turnout may be slightly smaller than in recent years because of the economy and the price of gas. He notes that there will still be around 60 booths of both fair fixtures and new vendors. According to Maiuro, some of the annual returning favorites include wood turner Don Pencil with his vases and bowls and Frank Loudin, creator of the Library Fair poster design, selling his art prints. “Among the food vendors will be Farm to Cafeteria serving salads, OPAL (Of People and Land) has a pies and ice cream booth and the Kiwanis are doing baked potatoes again. New food vendors include the American Legion serving hamburgers and hot dogs and OIPP (Orcas Island Prevention Partnership) with exotic blended drinks, “ he said.
Melissa Gaynor’s Love Bombs cupcakes is new and Beate Degen of Bellingham with her jewelry and drums is another returning favorite. According to Maiuro, in the special requirements section of Degen’s application, she requested “sunshine and fun people.” He said he found the request amusing. All reports are that the weather will be good and aren’t fun people a well-known fact of the Library Fair? He notes the vendor coming from the farthest away is Don Rodenberger of Squim with his hand painted tiles and watercolors.
In addition to the kid-friendly food and entertainment, there are free fair booths available for children. Those interested may still sign-up at the library. In past years, kids have offered brownies, lemonade, sculpey clay figures, paper drawings, greeting cards and kids activities and games at their booths.
The entertainment lineup on the Stage on the Green is once again an eclectic mix of performers. At 10:15 a.m. Ian Cooper will start the musical line-up, followed by Skye Hovelman and Jay Kimple at 11 a.m., storytime with Anntonette Botsford at 12 p.m., Miel and Jim Bredouw at 1 p.m. and Chief Baker goes on at 1:30 p.m.
Sue Lamb, co-chair of the art auction, says there are close to 80 donations so far. “The art is on display at the library until the morning of the fair so people can stop by and view it at their leisure. We hope to raise about $5,000 from the art auction alone,” Lamb says. “We have been fortunate to have artists, art collectors and redecorators donate. There are international pieces from a number of private collections. We have art from New Guinea, Guatemala, Australia and many other places around the world including works from local artists, many of whom contribute their work year-after-year. Ninety-seven-year-old Artist Mary Crosten has always been very generous with her wood block prints and people really like her stuff.”
Photographer Joe Floren, whose donations in previous years have raised considerable money, has presented a number of photographs. Artist Glenna Richards, the other art auction co-chair, has given both her own artwork and some from her collection. Cleo Forbes, Josie Barrow, Sue Lamb and Patrick Vownie are just a few of the Orcas artists providing original art. Tracy Levine, who’s painting last year raised the most money of any single piece, has supplied a pastel picture of a bee. Also up for bid, is an abstract print produced by Gayle Keith-Ashley from an artist collaboration created by the Orcas Palettes, the local art group. The art auction will end at 1:30 p.m.
A silent auction will be held from 10 to 2:30 p.m. with items that have been solicited by Barbara Safriet, the president of the Library Friends association, and her team. She says they have collected, among many other things, a photographic enlarger, an XM Satellite radio, pottery and dinners at local restaurants. “We hope to raise a whole lot of money from the silent auction. People here have donated a huge range of things on the island. It’s a testament to their generosity and their support for the library,” Safriet says.
“The quilt will hang on the wall of the library until the fair starts on Saturday. Orcas and Oklahoma resident and longtime quilter Linda Bryant has created a king-size quilt in a blended brown and beige floral pattern. The creation and raffle for a quilt is one of those customs that is as old as the Library Fair. As far as I know, since the very beginning we have had a quilt raffle,” Marilyn Jackson, who is in charge of the raffle, said.
“People should feel good about buying books at the fair. Not only are they getting books to enjoy but re-using used books is the highest form of recycling. It saves trees, energy and whatever else it takes to make books. Buying and donating books is good for the environment. And of course, there is also the Friends of the Orcas Island Library’s ironclad guarantee. If you are not fully satisfied, we will fill the trunk of your Oldsmobile with leftover books, allow you to help cleanup the park and refund your free admission,” Lobdell says.
