Since 1924, the Richmond Memorial Library in Marlborough, Connecticut, has been working hard to meet the educational and informational needs of our local residents as well as library users from neighboring towns. While the library receives an annual grant from the Town of Marlborough to keep its day-to-day operations running, the Richmond Memorial Library must supplement this funding by raising at least an additional $35,000 each year. In a small, rural community of approximately 6,300 people, this can be extremely challenging.

One way the library does this is through a 25 Days of Holiday Cheer Annual Silent Auction. The silent auction runs 25 days when the library is open, with the highest new bid placed each morning. This year, the silent auction begins on Thursday, November 3, and runs until closing time on Monday, December 5. The 25 Days of Cheer Annual Holiday Silent Auction is the library’s single largest fundraiser and draws the attention of approximately 2,000 people who stop into the library to check it out over the 25 day period.

Proceeds from this event will support literacy and provide essential library services to our community. One particular focus of our fundraising for this year is the purchase of Wonderbooks. Wonderbooks are print books with ready-to-play audiobooks inside that help children learn to read (whether it's a child just learning how to read or a struggling reader who needs to build his/her reading skills) because research has shown that hearing and seeing words at the same time can improve reading success rates. Wonderbooks give kids an edge with vocabulary development, phonics, and comprehension, plus they encourage deeper engagement with every book.