If I have learned anything in this life it is the fact that things don’t always go according to plan. The best way to deal with change is to just accept it, get a plan and move on. This year our AAUW Brevard Used Book Sale looks a bit different but this group of amazing women has taken on the challenge and dealt with it head on. The sale will go on and it will be amazing.
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We have had the privilege to hold our annual sale in the auxillary gym at Brevard College for years. It’s a huge room and we have had a great system that has gotten refined over the years to accommodate our 30,000 books, puzzles, cds, DVDs, audio books and LPs. This year that space is no longer available to us as the college is renovating their cafeteria which means the space we used has been turned into a temporary cafeteria. They offered us a new space – the McLarty Goodson Hall which has classrooms instead of one large open space. Could we do it? Absolutely yes! Our organization is made up of some really brilliant women — women who have skills and brains to figure out how a new space with classrooms would work. It’s going to be amazing.
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The sale will be as good if not better as previous sales. We may have to explain things a little bit more but we have great signage and a lot of helpers who will be willing to share information. Wednesday we moved the boxes of books and more to the new venue and when I left after 7 1/2 hours of work, things were looking really good. We are actually a day ahead of our normal schedule and we will be in really great shape on Saturday morning when the doors open to the public.
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Yes, the layout is totally different this year with different categories sharing rooms but it is laid out logically and should be easy to navigate.
This sale is what helps to fund our scholarships. This year we have been able to support scholarships at Brevard College and Blue Ridge Community College where we also have endowments, we have created two new scholarships at the high school level, are sending two college girls to a leadership conference and will be sending a total of 8 elementary and middle school girls to camps during the summer. Our sale and our year round eBay sales raise a lot of money that we love to give away. I have a personal investment in this especially. this year as I have been the chair of the Scholarship Committee and we are trying to find new ways to support our mission of promoting gender equity through education, advocacy and research.
Things can sometimes get complicated but when you have the ability to pivot it makes a huge difference. I am proud to be a member of this organization of brilliant women who are making a difference and prepping girls and women for a brighter future. If you are in Brevard, NC June 6-10, 2026 – pop in and see us. I guarantee you will find something that you will want to buy to take home with you.
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