Mark and Robin Twery have been married for almost 50 years, and one of the things that binds them is a shared love of reading. The retired Burlington couple have volunteered for more than a decade at the Fletcher Free Library. The downtown library is a public building funded by taxpayer dollars, but it also depends on support from the nonprofit volunteer group Friends of the Fletcher Free Library.
As part of the Friends group, the Twerys organize book sales, train volunteers and sell books online. Last year the nonprofit raised about $364,000 for the library’s programs, which promote literacy and build community.
In the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger visited the Twerys in their basement domain at the library, which is brimming with books.
The Friends will hold a Valentine’s Day book sale this Saturday and Sunday, February 14 and 15, at the library. You just may meet the Twerys there.
Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode.
What was it about the Twerys that caught your attention?
I have been volunteering for the Friends for about a year, which is how I met Mark and Robin. They taught me how to sort books for a sale, first by category and then alphabetically. I was drawn to the Twerys and their mutual love of books and thought they’d make for a good video in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day.
How have the Twerys stayed together for so long?
I asked the couple what brought them together, and they said food — Mark is an excellent chef, and Robin does the dishes. A sense of humor and shared interests keep them together. Robin and Mark both wear book-themed T-shirts on a regular basis. In the video, you can see Robin’s shirt, which reads: “A DAY WITHOUT A BOOK IS LIKE (just kidding, I have no idea).” That made me laugh out loud.
The pair spend about 10 hours a week in the basement, sorting and selling books. “I really enjoy sharing books with other folks,” Mark said, “so this is a good way to do that.”
Can you describe the Friends’ basement space at the Fletcher Free?
The room is packed with reading material of all shapes and sizes, and only the Twerys and their team of volunteers seem to understand how it’s organized. It is a peaceful place, and being surrounded by books is my idea of heaven.
Does the library accept book donations?
Here is a long answer to a short question: The original 1904 Carnegie section of the building, where the Friends space is located, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Last year an exterior historic preservation project began, and the windows needed to be removed and rehabilitated. Many of the books were moved so workers could access the area. The Friends stopped accepting donations during this period because there was no place to put more books. The basement window work is now done, and donations will be welcome again starting on February 18. ➆
The original print version of this article was headlined “Bound Together | Friends of the Fletcher Free Library volunteers Mark and Robin Twery love books and each other”
This article appears in February 11 • 2026.
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