BROOKINGS You cant judge a book by its cover but you can help support your local library while snagging some bargains on a wide range of books at the Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale, going on now through Oct. 20 in the upstairs Cooper Room of Brookings Public Library.
The Friends of the Library book sale is held twice a year. Its our largest fundraising event, Sara Bakken, president of the Friends of the Library, said. We raise money and all of the proceeds go directly into the library for materials and programming. We work really closely with each of the librarians to identify their kind of wish lists so things that go a little bit beyond the everyday budgeted items to really make our library someplace special.
Its more than just books for sale gently-used DVDs and CDs, along with board games, card games and video games have been donated by community members and are all be up for grabs.
It probably skews heavily bookish as it is called the book sale, but we certainly have a variety of media as well, Bakken said. We see some music come through music books and sheet music. Cookbooks, which certainly are still books, but are a little bit of a different variety. Crafting books, childrens books we always have a really wonderful variety of childrens books and chapter books and young adult books as well.
She said its a heavy haul of hardcover and paperback books alike.
Youll see thousands of books. I think we had six tons of books that we moved upstairs for the sale this year, Bakken said. There are always treasures hidden in the stacks, too. Youll see a few of some books; you might seem some that are kind of popular, and youll see a lot of them. And then you might find a diamond in the rough. Thats kind of the joy of the book sale just looking through everything and seeing what you might find.
Most items are priced at $2 or less, and all proceeds go to support library programming.
The Friends of the Library is the nonprofit functioning arm of the library. We really look to support those extra things that really make the Brookings Public Library someplace special, Bakken said. By supporting an event like the book sale, not only do you get to take home reading material for these cold months ahead, but you also are really fueling the actual physical materials and the programming that the library puts together. Frequently youll see around the library items or programming with either a poster up or a sticker on the item saying brought to you by the Friends of the Library. Those are the things that wouldnt happen without our patrons stopping by and taking home some books from the book sale.
People can learn about the Friends of the Library at their upcoming annual meeting next week.
The week following the book sale next Tuesday evening, Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. the Friends of the Library will be holding our annual meeting, and its open to the public, Bakken said. Were planning to have a snack or hors d’oeuvres style potluck, and wed love to invite our membership and our community to join us. Well be upstairs at the library. And at that meeting, not only do we talk about just some general Friends of the Library fun stuff and have a good time, but well actually be talking with the librarians about where theyd like to spend the money that we raise at the book sale this week.
Cash and checks are accepted during the book sale, but staff can run credit or debit card purchases as well. The sale opened to the general public yesterday and continues today from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.
Email Jay Roe at[email protected].
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