Since June of 1968, the Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop in downtown Damariscotta has been an important source of funding for Skidompha Public Library. On Saturday, July 21, all are invited to an all-day celebration at the shop to mark its 50 years of  “selling good books for a great cause.”

The celebration will include a half-price sale on all books, puzzles, CDs, DVDs, and videotapes, and will take place during regular Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The celebration will also include: refreshments all day; around 2 p.m., a cake-cutting and remarks by key players in the shop’s success; music from the ’60s and ’70s; a display of books from and about the ’60s; visit from Sumner Richards’ vintage VW camper; and the opportunity to buy Skidompha pins, baseball caps, and temporary tattoos.

The shop was established under the leadership of volunteer Mary Wallace Smith and is still managed and staffed entirely by volunteers. It has been in three downtown locations during its 50 years: the Main Street building that is currently the Frances Perkins Center; the “Red Barn” on Elm Street, now Joe Lane’s Lobster; and its current spot, 17 Backstreet Landing, where it opened in February of 2017.

For more information, visit the shop’s website, www.skidomphabookshop.org, or phone 563-7807.