SEQUIM \u2014 Volunteers with the Friends of Sequim Library are seeking a new spot to hold their monthly sales once their one-year lease in Rock Plaza, a space formerly available rent-free, expires.\n<\/p>\n
Katherine Huelskamp, the Friends\u2019 board secretary, said the monthly book sale at 10175 Old Olympic Highway on the second Saturday of each month averages between $2,500 and $3,000 a month, but with a new year-long lease and utilities, the nonprofit has an overhead cost of about $2,000 a month.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIf FOSL is going to make it, we need to find a new place,\u201d Huelskamp said of the organization.<\/p>\n
Board members opted to sign a lease from June 1 to May 31, 2026, to allow them more time to find another solution, interim president Pam Erb said.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Rock Plaza owner was incredibly gracious to let us lease this for as long as we did with no rent,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was a blessing for the library, (which was) able to fund quite a bit of their projects and their expansion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friends of Sequim Library (FOSL), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, moved into Rock Plaza during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it previously operated in a building behind the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave.\n<\/p>\n
That building does not exist anymore as the library\u2019s expansion and renovation is being finished this summer. The site\u2019s layout does not include another FOSL building for book sales.<\/p>\n
Huelskamp said they\u2019re looking for a permanent space to operate, and since they\u2019ve never had to pay rent before, the new cost is \u201ca significant amount of our income.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people in the community think we\u2019re vital, so we want to keep it going,\u201d Erb said.<\/p>\n
FOSL is separate from the North Olympic Library System (NOLS), Friends board member Rick Yates said.\n<\/p>\n
\u201c(FOSL) exists to support the Sequim Library,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
The group provides an annual donation to the library, which in recent years has been $25,000, and it has helped the summer reading program. It also gave $150,000 to the Sequim library\u2019s expansion project.\n<\/p>\n
FOSL board members said they plan to give $25,000 next year, but they might have to dip into FOSL\u2019s savings to maintain that amount due to the new expenses.\n<\/p>\n
Erb said they can negotiate a new lease next year, but they\u2019re open to moving to a new space, either for free or possibly for purchase.\n<\/p>\n
Seeking support\n<\/p>\n
To increase revenues, FOSL board members are considering options that include:\n<\/p>\n
\u2022 Members-only sale events.\n<\/p>\n
\u2022 A holiday sale separate from the monthly sale.\n<\/p>\n
\u2022 Expanding online sales.\n<\/p>\n
\u2022 Hosting book clubs with sales before\/after.\n<\/p>\n
\u2022 Seeking more legacy donations.\n<\/p>\n
Media donations are accepted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at Rock Plaza, except for the Wednesday of the sale.\n<\/p>\n
The sale now opens an hour earlier, and books in the Annex (the back portion of the sale) are now 50 cents per book. At noon, Annex books become $1 a bag, and they are free after 2 p.m.\n<\/p>\n
Volunteer Linda DeMoss said she finds the Annex to be a good resource for children\u2019s books, particularly to donate to Sequim Community Aid\u2019s Toys for Sequim Kids event at Christmas.\n<\/p>\n
FOSL does not accept magazines, Reader\u2019s Digest or condensed books.\n<\/p>\n
Yates, who manages the \u201cMiscellaneous Nonfiction\u201d section, said community members come from diverse backgrounds and he\u2019s always amazed at the quality of what comes in.\n<\/p>\n
Annual meeting\n<\/p>\n
Friends of Sequim Library hosts its annual membership meeting at 10 a.m. July 22 at the Sequim Elks Lodge, 143 Port Williams Road. Sequim branch manager Emily Sly will speak about library renovations, and bi-annual elections for board members will be held.\n<\/p>\n
Volunteers\n<\/p>\n
FOSL has about 20 active volunteers, and they\u2019re seeking a treasurer with experience working for nonprofits and people to help move books.\n<\/p>\n
To sign up, visit Rock Plaza from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays or Wednesdays.\n<\/p>\n