The Friends of the Mississippi Mills Public Library fifth annual online auction is happening in May/June. Once again, it features the best of Mississippi Mills businesses and organizations and is a nice snapshot of what is available in our community. Throughout April and early May we are soliciting donations of services and putting them up on the auction site. We are once more greatly heartened by the fact that at least 95% of the businesses who have donated over the last few years enthusiastically do so again. This year we are digging deeper into the community and including some new businesses as well. So if you were outbid on a service last year, you may just get a second chance this year. And if you are looking for something new, you may find that as well!
On May 18 the auction site will open to the public. You may then preview the services and earmark the ones you want to bid on until June 7. During this time there is no bidding. The bidding starts on June 8 and runs until June 19. For a preview on May 18, visit our site at 32auctions.com/TheBestofMM. If you don’t have computer access, check out the tech services at the Almonte branch of the library. They can help.
The Friends’ online auction raises money to support library programming. Last year that money went towards 100 lighter weight chairs and dollies to make it easier for library staff to set up and take down chairs for the many in-house library events such as Learning Again in Almonte lectures, travel talks, meetings movies, talks by authors promoting their latest books, and even the occasional concert and memorial.
Beyond the financial gain for the library, the auction also serves the community. With 17,000 hits on the auction site, local businesses and organizations get five weeks of free advertising. New businesses get their name and services out there, not only on the website but also on our social media posts. Bidders get to know local businesses and organizations, which promotes shopping locally. Connections are made and everyone wins. So be sure to log into the auction site and check out the services available for bidding.
Questions? Contact Barbara Carroll at friends@missmillslibrary.com.