Lancaster County is known for its good food and great cooks. Those attending the Seventh annual Bucks for Books auction at Stoudt's Black Angus on Nov. 10 will have the opportunity to bid on dinners, restaurant gift certificates and home-baked desserts, including a blue-ribbon chocolate cake.

Local amateur cooks will host dining events — cocktail parties, an English tea, prime rib dinners, lasagna dinner, brunch for 10 and a German dinner — in their homes.

For anyone planning a big party, there is a pulled-pork dinner for 50 people, delivered to your home.

Several homemade cakes and pies will be available to take home the same evening. Among the desserts up for bids is a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate cake donated by Jayne Wenger of Adamstown.  Wenger took first place at the 2011 Farm Show with a similar cake.

The auction is sponsored by Friends of the Adamstown Area Library and includes dinner, a live auction and a silent auction. Doors will open at 4 p.m. and dinner will be served at 5:15 p.m., followed by the auction conducted by Art Pannebecker.

The cost of the full-course, sit-down dinner is $40. Ticket chairman Carol Lewis said about 100 tickets have been sold to date. She said there is no charge for those who arrive after 6 p.m. to attend only the auction.  

Ann Roseboro, general chairman of the event, said she is always amazed by the variety and quality of donations from the community. The profit from the evening averages $25,000, which is donated to the library.

"We appreciate the generosity of everyone who contributes to the auction in any way," Roseboro said. "We always hope for a successful auction to help subsidize the library, since funds from government sources seem to be shrinking every year."

Library director Kathy Thren said the event is a highlight of the year.

"The auction is a wonderful opportunity for people to support our fabulous community library and also to pick up some unique holiday gifts for friends and loved ones," she said.

Among the unique gifts is a hand-crafted Alpine Hunter rifle with scope, donated by Mark Bansner of Bansner's Ultimate Rifles. Bansner has donated several rifles over the years and each has drawn spirited bidding.

There are a number of entertainment opportunities on the auction block: tickets to shows at Ephrata Performing Arts Center and the Fulton Theatre, a three-month membership to the Ephrata Rec Center, tickets to local sports events and greens fees for four local golf courses.

Stoudt's Black Angus is located at 2800 N. Reading Road, Adamstown.

For a complete list of prizes and contributors, go to www.friendsaalibrary.net.

For more information, call the library at 484-4200.