FALMOUTH — Hip-checking, gentle pushing and other (mostly friendly) tactics to outbid others are all part of the popular Beauty and the Books silent auction at the Falmouth Memorial Library.

The March 6-30 fundraiser ends with a special evening event to submit final bids from 5-7 p.m. in the Russell Room on March 30. All proceeds from the auction are used to support library operating expenses.

The fundraiser, now in its 12th year, was the brainchild of Marsha Clark, president of the library’s board of trustees. Clark got the idea at a library conference about how to tap into community resources.

“We’ve got a lot of talented people in town and I thought we could capitalize on those talents,” she said.

Every year the auction features one-of-a-kind, handmade items from pottery and jewelry to paintings and quilts. Generally, Clark said, members of the community with an artistic bent donate around 125 items to the fundraiser.

Throughout March the items up for grabs are displayed all over the library and a book is available for the public to make their bids. Final bids are taken at the evening event at the end of the month.

The artists set a minimum bid, but Clark said, “Some items go way over value and you never know which ones they will be.”

“Most of the (donors) are not professional artists, but people who just love to make things, and this auction is a great outlet for them to be artistic,” she added.

She said the library will accept donations to the auction through March 4 at least. Call 781-2351 or email beautyandthebooksfml@gmail.com for more information.

Clark said the annual Beauty and the Books auction is “very popular, and there’s always lots of interest from the community.” In fact, she said, it’s likely people will be lined up at the door first thing on Monday, March 6, to see what’s up for bid this year.

For Clark “it’s just like Christmas” to see what’s been donated. “It gives me such joy to see the originality of the work and I am also pleased with the generosity of the community” in both donating items and making bids.

Kate Irish Collins can be reached at 710-2336 or kcollins@theforecaster.net. Follow Kate on Twitter: @KirishCollins.

Marsha Clark, president of the board at the Falmouth Memorial Library, shows off one of the quilts that’s been donated to the library’s annual Beauty and the Books silent auction fundraiser. The event begins March 6.