Of the more than 100 items to be auctioned on Saturday to raise money for the Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library, one is bound to stand out.
Weighing in at 21,000 pounds, it's a 1969 squad truck donated by the Mount Aetna Fire Company. The squad truck, which has 17,700 miles on it, needs engine work but is in running order. At a time when budget cuts have led to reductions in library staff and hours, library director Elizabeth M. Caruso said she was awestruck by the gift. "It's just nice to feel appreciated, especially because when all these cuts are happening," she said. "You wonder, 'Does the community need us?' Then they give us a fire truck. "Caruso said she's seen people taking down information about the truck, now parked outside the library. "I don't know what they're going to do with it, but it must be something good," she said, laughing. Fire company trustee Leonard R. Mays figures the vehicle might end up in a collector's hands. Or, it could be used as a utility vehicle. The Mount Aetna trustees decided to donate the truck to the library because the fire company purchased a new one this summer. "We want to support the local library," Mays said. "I hope they get a good price for it."

The fire company bought the now 40-year-old vehicle in 1988 for $23,000, Mays said. Also for sale Saturday are a quilt made by Mennonites; locally harvested honeycomb; and homemade baked goods and gift cards, Caruso said. Library officials asked the community to donate services and items. This is the second benefit auction for the library. After a lackluster book sale, the library held its first auction last year and raised more than $5,600, Caruso said, adding that every penny goes to the library. "If everybody came and bid $10, that would make a tremendous impact on us," Caruso said. Because of the state budget delay and possible funding cuts, the library's budget for materials was cut in half, and the library cannot afford to replace a staff member who left, Caruso said. Weekday hours have been cut, and weekend hours also may be reduced. The Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library circulated more than 155,000 materials in 2008, making it the fourth highest circulation in Berks County, according to Julie R. Rinehart, county public libraries administrator.
UPDATE:
The 1969 fire truck donated by the Mount Aetna Fire Company to benefit the Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library is bound for Colorado. But it was bought by a Berks County native. Mount Aetna donated the vehicle for the library to sell at an auction held Saturday. The event raised more than $9,000 for the library to buy books and materials, said library director Elizabeth M. Caruso. The fire truck, which sold for $3,000, was bought by Jerry Williams, a fire marshal with the Colorado Fire Service. Williams, who grew up in Lower Alsace Township, was in Hamburg visiting his brother when he read about the auction. The truck will be used as a utility vehicle for the statewide fire service, Williams said. "It's a unique piece," he said.