Friends of the Berthoud Community Library will be holding their annual silent auction from Friday November 25 through Saturday December 3, as a fundraiser to help support library programs throughout the year. About 70 baskets and individual items will be available for viewing and bidding on the Friends of the Library website starting the day after Thanksgiving (www.bclfriends.org). Auction items will also be displayed at the library, although all bids must be made through the online bidding site. Library staff can help patrons with how to access the bidding site.

Photos courtesy of Friends of the Berthoud Library – A few of the more than 70 gift baskets and items to be auctioned to support the Berthoud Community Library.

Stephanie Horvath, vice president of Friends of the Berthoud Community Library who is helping with the auction, was quick to express her gratitude to the people of Berthoud, especially business owners who donate items for the auction. “We are so fortunate to live in a community that values our little library,” she said, “the businesses really come through with generous and fun donations, and the people turn out to participate and bid. It’s a lot of leg work putting it all together, but it is a fun event.”

Karen Nelson, treasurer for Friends of the Library and member of the silent auction committee, said the library benefits in many ways from the auction. “Last year we were able to raise $4,500 with the auction and of course we’d like to raise even more this year.,” said Nelson, “The library is so much more than just the books. It’s about building community and creating a safe place for kids to be and learn.”

Because government funding doesn’t cover all expenses of library programs, Friends of the Library steps in to provide financial assistance for programs, activities and infrastructure when the budget gets too tight. Nelson indicated that the need will be even greater in the future after voters rejected funding to build a new library. She said library staff is having to make significant adjustments to current space in order to accommodate growing demand, so it’s likely they will need even more assistance from Friends of the Library in the months and years to come.

The silent auction is the main fundraiser for the Friends of the Library each year. Items available for bidding include restaurant gift certificates and sports tickets to baskets filled with a wide variety of gift items. All proceeds help fund the Berthoud Community Library. Go to www.bclfriends.org to access the bidding site.