Oklahoma’s Greatest Book Event
The greatest annual book event in Oklahoma is right around the corner. On the last weekend in February, the Friends of the Metropolitan Library System hold one of the largest used book sales in the country at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, and this year’s event promises to be one of the biggest yet.
The Friends of the Library gather donated books, magazines, audiobooks, and videos year-round at their massively stuffed warehouse, and hundreds of thousands of these items are sold, mostly for $1.00 or less, with the profits supporting library services and programs around Oklahoma County.
The book sale is a truly amazing scene — otherwise mild-mannered citizens gather the largest wheeled implements that can be rolled into the Fairgrounds’ “Oklahoma Expo” building and set about filling up their baby carriages, wheelbarrows, and ”Big Blue” trash recepticles with $0.50 paperbacks and $1.00 hardcovers. A special “Collector’s Choice” section features slightly more expensive items, but excellent titles are available at the regular unbeatable prices in every conceivable genre.
The literary treasures available to book-lovers are so vast that for the past two years my wife has forbidden me to attend this all-you-can-grab book smorgasbord as we’ve run out of shelves at home on which to store them. (If anyone knows of a used bookcase sale, please contact Bookmarking Blog Headquarters immediately.) It’s also interesting to check out the array of different state license plates in the parking lot, as booksale tourists from all over the country converge on this massive event.
Admission on February 21 and 22 is free, but a special bonus is available to any of the thousand or so volunteers who help put together this gigantic book extravaganza. On Friday night, February 20, a special pre-sale party is opened to volunteers and Friends members to comb through the unbelievable wealth of great books and other items for sale. Memberships and volunteer applications are conveniently available on the Friends’ website.
I might even make it back to the booksale this time after my two-year disciplinary suspension, having vowed to only buy one book for every two I donate to the sale. Sadly, the wife isn’t nearly as interested as I am in the revolutionary “let’s use stacks of books as end tables!” interior decorating scheme I have long been perfecting.
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I just sent in my membership money! Thanks for the reminder. If you haven’t been there it is a wild free for all book hunt. Go the first night and pay for the membership, it’s well worth the money. Usually I go with some friends, get there at 1:00 or 2:00, wait in a long line (rock concert or football ticket long) . All those crazies who want to be there first to get the “best stuff”. Chat with other eager book purchasers, marvel at the devices brought in to haul out their treasures, and poise myself for the dash to the tables. You REALLY want to try this, prices are wonderful and it’s just a lot of fun. Be prepared to fill your backseat, trunk and every box you can get hold of. The folks at Metro do a great job of organization and re-fill tables with more books as fast as they empty.