CAZENOVIA — On any given weekend, Cazenovia’s used bookstore is a busy place. Parents bring young children excited to pick out picture books; a visitor to town is excited to see the extensive military history collection; repeat customers take advantage of the monthly sales (suspense/thrillers; beach reads; craft books); volunteer staffers are happy to help.
Carriage Barn Books is located in the barn behind the Cazenovia Public Library. The Greek Revival library building was built as a private home in 1830; its carriage barn in 1858. For years, the Friends of the Library used the barn to store, sort, and sell books at their annual summer book sale. Library Director Betsy Kennedy, as well as others involved with library, fantasized for years about turning the barn into a bookstore – a dream that was able to be realized beginning in 2017, thanks to Friends of the Library (FOL) fundraising and matching funds from a New York State Education Department Construction Program grant for public libraries. The interior of the barn was completely stripped down and rebuilt by Mike Walker and Expert Building Services, with reclaimed wood floors, new walls, and windows, restored horse stalls, period lighting, new entry doors that work with the historic barn doors, and an HVAC system. The restoration has received awards from the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation and PACNY – the Preservation Association of Central New York.
All 35,000 books in the barn have been donated. Donations are always welcome and can be dropped off near the back door of the library. All sorts of books are accepted, excluding encyclopedias and textbooks. Donations that don’t end up in Carriage Barn Books are given to other organizations, including CRIS (Cazenovia Resources for Independent Seniors), Little Free Libraries; and Operation Paperback, where they are shipped to U.S. military bases. Books are also donated to other Mid-York libraries to add to their collections; and used by the Cazenovia Public Library to replace worn copies.
Carriage Barn Books was able to stay open throughout the pandemic, and its 30-plus volunteer staff members are happy that the hours have now expanded: Friday 10-6; Saturday 10-4; and Sunday 12-4. To keep informed about hours, special sales, and other information and updates about Carriage Barn Books, follow on Facebook and Instagram. And if you are interested in volunteering, check out the library’s website for information about becoming a volunteer.
In celebration of our second anniversary, all books will be “buy one, get one free!” during the last weekend in October.
