Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale Begins Tuesday [October 20]
The book sale you’ve been waiting for begins this week. Envision this, if you will: three semi-tractor trailers full of books, plus videos, CDs and more.
It’s the annual Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale, which runs Tuesday through Sunday at Remington’s, 1655 W. Republic Road in Springfield. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Advice from veteran book sale fans: Come early for the best selection.
The Missouri State University Lady Bears and coaches will be guest volunteers at the book sale from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Proceeds from the annual fall sale and its spring sale counterpart the 10 library branches, bookmobile and patron programs.
Catch these recession-friendly bargains: All kids’ books and adult and young adult paperbacks are 50 cents; adult and young adult hardback and softbound, and all CDs, DVDs, tapes, videos, records puzzles and games are $1. Better books are individually priced.
“We’ll have over 280 tables of books, which will virtually fill Remington’s floor space,” said Friends’ past president Bill Bogart.
“People are looking for a bargain right now, and to be able to come in and buy armloads of books for a few dollars – that’s what’s exciting to me,” he said. “I especially love to see these little kids come out with a sack full of books for a couple of dollars. We know they get a lot of enjoyment out of it, and it’s educational.
“It’s a way of recycling a product that’s beneficial to the community,” he said. “And in the end, we raise some dollars for the library system.”
Want to get a jump on the crowds? Plan to attend “preview night” for Friends of the Library members from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday. Not a member? You can easily join at the door that night. An individual membership is $5; family membership is $8. Membership entitles you to a 10 percent discount on all items at Between Friends gift shops, access to all book sale preview events, and discounts at various retail outlets.
The Friends’ good works – and your generous support of their fundraisers -- are crucial to many library programs for children, teens and adults.
Here’s a sample of how your dollars have helped:
- The 2009 Spring Book Sale hit a milestone, breaking the $100,000 mark for the first time with sales of more than $107,000. Since Friends launched the first book sale in 1985, it has raised more than $1.39 million for the library district.
- Friends’ generous grants and gifts in the past have supported Wee Read, which promotes early reading by providing books to families of children enrolled in the Parents as Teachers programs; library music events; the Summer Reading Program, library upgrades; the Annie Busch Early Literacy Fund and an endowment for the Library Foundation.
- All told, Friends of the Library donated a whopping $261,228 in grants and gifts in the 2008-2009 fiscal year just ended.
Which makes them – and eager book buyers – our Friends, indeed.
Contact Kathleen O'Dell, community relations director for the Springfield-Greene County Library District, can be reached at kathleeno@thelibrary.org.
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