PHILLIPS - Like most any small town, the Phillips Public Library serves as the community's center.

Books are lent out, computers offer internet access and the summer program keeps area children reading, are a few of the usual functions of a library.

What is unusual about this library, which also serves Avon and Madrid residents and is housed in a former school building, is the benefit clothing and used book exchange going on upstairs.

While the thrift store and used book sale has been in operation for years, a recent $4,800 grant awarded by the Hugh and Elizabeth Montgomery Charitable Fund through the Maine Community Foundation, has, in part, provided for hiring a coordinator, Rebecca Garlick of Phillips, to organize the store and sales.

For years, the annual used book sale to benefit the library's operations was held during the Old Home Days in August and organized by Hugh Montgomery. The book sale expanded to a summer-long event when it moved upstairs from the library in the Paul G. Whittemore building.

The thrift store got started in 2002 by library employee Anne Hutchens as a way to help house fire victims and provide affordable clothing to those in need.

Volunteers worked to try and keep up with organizing the incoming donated books and clothing, but there was no one person to coordinate it all consistently. Part of the grant has allowed Garlick to be hired to fill that role. The other portion of the grant is providing for new computers and other upgrades to the library's technology equipment, said librarian, Hedy Langdon.

After just a week of Garlick being on the job, one of the former large classrooms upstairs is lined with shelf after shelf of neatly organized books. There's a children's section and one for teens. The adult fiction and non-fiction books are labeled by subject.

Across the hall, the other spacious classroom holds the thrift store. Racks are labeled and clothes, shoes and other accessories are carefully organized for a pleasing display.

Garlick's organizing and volunteer coordination has proven efficient for expanding both the thrift store and book sale's offerings. A grand reopening will be held during Old Home Days.

"I was hired to get things rolling," she said looking at the rows of nice quality shoes that have been donated. "It's a nice space for the community to use."

Garlick said they accept donations that are of good quality and keeping the prices low for the books and clothes is an important goal of the projects.

"We want to make sure everything's affordable," Garlick said. While providing inexpensive clothing and books is important for families trying to make ends meet, the donations "all help raise money for the library."

Nothing in the thrift store is over $5, and that is for the heavy coats and nice ski pants. Most things, like pants are $2.

"There's a lot of cute stuff here," she said of the thrift store. The books include a nice section of quality coffee table books, most of the collection is hardcover and they are priced reasonably.

The donations help with the library's operations which include the never-ending upkeep on its historical building.

Built in 1894, The Paul G. Whittemore building on Main Street was the area high school until 1969. It then served as a middle school until 1988. The library, incorporated in 1911, was located in the Phillips Historical Society's house on Pleasant Street before moving into its current location 16 years ago in 2000.

Two years of fund raising and renovation work went into moving the library into the former school.

Garlick, who grew up here remembers, "the whole community came together to move the library here. It's a great building and it's absolutely wonderful this building is being used."

The building next to it which served as a cafeteria and then a gymnasium for the school, is now the Library Studio. Classes, children's programs, concerts and more are held there.

The library is open on Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The thrift store and book sale will be open until the end of October.