A new chapter of success
Ask anyone involved with CitiBooks, and they’ll tell you it has been nothing but a blessing for the community.
Visitors have found good reads at reasonable prices, City Mission has earned some cash by recycling unusable books, and for volunteers like Emily Homitz of Houston, it’s the perfect excuse to clean house.
“I usually bring in books I have read,” Homitz said. “It makes my husband happy. There’s no clutter in my house.”
More importantly, though, CitiBooks has provided a welcome financial boost for Citizens Library in Washington, generating more than $35,000 since it opened March 15, 2011, in the lower level of the library.
“We were hoping to make at least $15,000 a year … and we’ve exceeded that,” said Fran Higgins, volunteer coordinator and a member of Friends of Citizens Library, which operates the used books bookstore.
CitiBooks is open year-round and has been a reliable replacement for the library’s six-week annual book sale. On Saturday, CitiBooks raised an extra $578 during a bag sale, selling bags full of books for $5 a pop.
“That’s a lot of bags,” Higgins said. “People were packed in there. It was just like a mob scene.”
And beginning tomorrow, CitiBooks is expanding its hours to include a fourth day. In addition to being open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, CitiBooks will be open Thursdays.
CitiBooks is staffed solely by volunteers, who help stock shelves, clean books and man the desk.
Homitz, who previously volunteered with the library’s book sale, has been volunteering twice a month at CitiBooks for two years, and she enjoys every minute of it.
“Before they opened, I could not believe this room,” Homitz said as she glanced around the main room at CitiBooks. “It all came together like it was meant to be.” Homitz, who is a retired fifth-grade language arts teacher in the Chariters-Houston School District, said she was happy to sign up to volunteer. She and Higgins are former neighbors and continue to play in the same card club.
“What is neat is you tend to see the same people and get to know them,” Homitz said. “The people are very nice, and they’ve donated books in wonderful condition.”
CitiBooks has thousands of books, all of which are separated by category. There is a children’s section, plus shelves dedicated to military, Pennsylvania history, medical/health, fiction and nonfiction, just to name a few.
In addition to the books, the Friends group also generates revenue for its own coffers through membership renewals and fundraisers throughout the year, and from jewelry, lotions and gift baskets that are sold in the bookstore.
“It’s not just books. You never know what you’re going to find here,” Homitz said.
As as result, the board recently approved library director Diane Ambrose’s request to purchase four computers and monitors, plus a table.
“We have really spread our wings the past three years,” Higgins said. “Until that time, we had no goals.”
Now, though, the Friends have been going like gangbusters. Besides CitiBooks and mutliple fundraisers, they have re-established adult programming – which was eliminated following state funding cuts – through Lunch with Friends and Evening with Friends.
“The hand of God has been on our shoulders from day one,” Higgins said.
CitiBooks hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Anyone who would like to volunteer to staff CitiBooks should contact Fran Higgins at 724-228-2915 or friendsofcitizenslibrary@gmail.com.