There’s no doubt that Cathy Francis loves books.
So when the former bookstore owner wanted to support fundraising efforts at Dwight Public Library, where she regularly volunteers, she knew just what to do: a book sale.
What she had planned wasn’t your average book sale. Over several months, she gathered thousands of books, and then she artfully displayed them in her studio just off Seabreeze Road.
By the end of the day, the sale had raised almost $1,600, funds that will be used for the branch’s future expansion.
“Books and libraries have always been a wondrous part of my life,” says Francis. She went to the library with her mother every Saturday morning, bringing home books like Born Free, which made her want to be game warden in Africa, and The Black Stallion, after which she begged her father for riding lessons. 84 Charing Cross Road was “a great influence in making me a bookseller,” she says. And she later fell asleep reading to her own children. “So many magical moments.”
When she closed the Flying Dragon Bookshop in Toronto, the remaining books, book stands and props were donated to the Dwight library, where Francis has been a patron for more than 30 years since first coming to her husband John’s cottage on Seabreeze Road. They now live at the cottage full time and in February she started volunteering at the library.
“I have always loved walking into this library, there is a vibrancy to it,” says Francis. “The sunlight streaming through the skylight, the friendly faces, the laughter of the children gathering for an activity (no shushing in this library!)”
As a former bookseller, Francis has a large personal library. When she decided to weed a few books from her collection, she thought she’d dedicate a few shelves to them in her studio and when friends and neighbours dropped in they could buy one and the money would be donated to the Dwight library for their renovations.
But then friends started to donate more books, and what had started as just a small idea grew and grew. When Francis realized the books would take over her studio, she decided to hold a one-day ‘Summer Reading Sale.’
“One friend donated her husband’s collection of fantasy books—don’t worry I called to check that he knew she had donated them!” says Francis.
She put a call out for book donations on social media and put signs up in the community.
“I was overwhelmed by the generosity of friends, past customers of the bookshop, and the community. As I unpacked the boxes, it was like Christmas,” says Francis. “I found a favourite book of my son’s, Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary. I had to sit down and read it again right away. Many of the books would remind me of moments of great reading pleasure: a copy of The Golden Compass took me back to hearing a friend read it aloud to a car full of children on vacation, a copy of Keturah and Lord of Death reminded me of the photo my sister-in-law sent me when reading the book. I loved that image, the book was full of post-its of her favourite passages.”
After a member of a Probus group mentioned the book sale at a meeting, there was an explosion of donations: “piles of puzzles, a wondrous range of CDs from jazz to new age, DVDs, and multiple copies of books, obviously selections from their book clubs,” says Francis.
More than a thousand books soon filled her studio, so they had to extend the tables out to the adjacent carport. Books on every topic imaginable were donated, says Francis.
“Whenever you have an event like this, you worry that no one will come but at 10 a.m. the cars started to roll in, neighbours walked through the forest and up the lane. Families with a gaggle of kids and dogs trailed in,” says Francis. “I met so many new people and delighted in sharing my favourite books with them.”
A few days after the sale, Francis donated the proceeds, $1,594.50, to the library for their renovation project.
“My thanks to everyone for their donations and to the many volunteers that helped during the sale,” says Francis. “It was a wonderful opportunity for me to get to know them better. It is something I love about the Dwight library, the sense of community, a place to meet new friends.”
There were hundreds of books, CDs, DVDs and puzzles that were left over—five carloads worth! Those items are now for sale at the Dwight Public Library.
Francis hopes that others will find ways to support the library as well.
“Dwight Library offers more than a place to find a great read,” she says. “The librarians and the volunteers have created an inviting atmosphere for the community to gather in. As I enter the Library, a volunteer is helping a woman retrieve family images that have been lost from her computer, a young man is making use of the resources to find a job, the mothers that homeschool are sitting having coffee as their children are being read to, a couple are making travel reservations in the computer hub, volunteers are laughing as they reshelve books, a patron is watering the seeds that will be planted in the new community garden.
“If we value this, we should all do our part to support the Dwight Library or local libraries. They are a vital hub of our communities.”
The role of libraries is changing, too, says Francis. “They are growing from a building to house books to a space that provides people with programs to enrich their lives. All the programs and services are growing in participation and the physical space needs to grow to meet the needs of the community.”
Staff at the Dwight Public Library appreciate Francis’ efforts.
“If you know, Cathy, it wouldn’t have been surprising that she wanted to take on this huge project,” says the library’s CEO, Cathy Fairbairn. “I knew that she would make it look very appealing, and she knows her books so she would be able to help people find whatever they were looking for.”
The library has raised about $270,000 to date. They are seeking out grant opportunities, as well as accepting private donations and pledges. Two fundraisers are in the plans for this summer: three, one-hour cruises on the S.S. BIgwin on July 22 including a kid-friendly Mermaids and Pirates cruise, a Brews Cruise with Lake of Bays Brewery, and a book-lovers sunset cruise with author Terry Fallis. There will also be a family trivia night on August 15 for ages six and up, “so families can participate and kids can get involved in building their library,” says Fairbairn.
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Cathy Hurst says
Great piece Dawn! Cathy Francis did a wonderful job and we are thrilled at her donation. The Lake of Bays Library Board and the Dwight Expansion Fundraising Committee are busy raising money for this worthwhile cause.
The three S.S. Bigwin cruises will be held on Monday, July 22nd not June.
Elaine Griffioen says
Thanks Dawn for your continued support and patronage. We love our library and have the best volunteers and board members. I feel so lucky to work here.
Cathy Francis is amazing! She is a powerhouse, a mine of literary information, and we really do appreciate everything she does for the library. ?
Dawn Huddlestone says
Thanks for the correction, Cathy. Apparently I want to go on a cruise sooner! 😉
Patti Parker says
A wonderful article for an amazing event. Cathy and John made a great team and should be very proud of their efforts. We, the community really appreciate the hard work that went into this sale. Bravo team Francis!