Plains Library holds auction
<p>Attendees of the auction watch as items are bid on Saturday afternoon at the Friends of the Library auction at Plains Public Library. They hope to raise funds to purchase a new reader-printer.</p>
PLAINS - The Plains Public Library hosted a live auction with the help from Friends of the Library club and local donors of items in an effort to raise funds for a new printer.
The new printer, which is needed due to the lack of digitization of older documents and the current reader printer is beyond repair, costs $8,000 and Friends of the Library gathered material from all over town to auction off Saturday morning.
“We started collecting items [for auction] about two months ago,” Mary Jane Siegford said. “We talked to local businesses and civic organizations, and there has been a lot of community help with this.”
Auctioneer Gene Johnson called and sang the auction items, coaxing bidders to go higher for objects such as painted antique chairs, furniture, chests, small appliances, and one elephant-shaped laundry basket.
Total funds raised on Saturday came to about $1,000, a sum that Siegford called “a good start.”
Siegford also described how the auction came together with the efforts of Friends of the Library members as well as community members.
“We had a good crew helping out,” she said.
She also said she wasn’t sure if another fundraiser is on the horizon specifically for the new printer.
“We’ll hold more book sales,” Siegford said. “We had a good time, and we got rid of things, which is always good.”
More efforts will be made by Friends and other community organizations as well in the coming months, as the need for the new printer grows greater. Those wanting to help in those efforts can contact Mary Jane Siegford at 826-3818.
“We are very grateful for all the community help,” Siegford said.