Rotarians vow to make up the loss after cash was stolen from a library used book sale

STAFFORD — Staff and volunteers at a Stafford County library are shaken.

Someone walked into the Porter Library in Park Ridge at 3:36 p.m. Friday and took more than $120 from a used book sale.

The suspect grabbed the box of cash and bolted through an exit door. Security guards and some volunteers gave chase but the thief got away.

There is no security camera footage to review, said Stafford sheriff’s spokeswoman Amanda Vicinanzo. No injuries were reported and the incident is under investigation.

“Of course this is about more than money,” said Central Rappahannock Regional Library Director Martha Hutzel. “Some of the staff and volunteer are shaken up after what happened.”

Since the cash grab, neighbors and at least one civic group have stepped up to help the Friends of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library recoup some of what it lost. The non-profit holds monthly book sales at Porter Library to raise funds for the library system, which includes branches in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County.

Since Friday, the “Friends” group has collected $120 from people who just stopped in to donate. And, the North Stafford Rotary Club has vowed to help the library with a cash donation. 

“We can write them a check tomorrow. I know my Board will approve it,” said Rene Laws, North Stafford Rotary Club President. 

Rotarians hold regular meetings at the library on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Laws said the “library staff bends over backward for everyone who comes through the door,” and that the library serves as an important community gathering place for adults and children. 

Going forward, Hutzel said the cash box at future used book sales will be placed in a more centralized, more difficult to access place inside the library.

The library sells old and outdated materials at these used book sales once it has pulled them out of circulation. The used book sales typically last for four to five days each month.

Anyone who wants to make a donation to the Friends of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library may do so at any branch, said Hutzel. 

Stafford reporter Christopher Hirons contributed to this story.