Friends Booksale Update
For 51 weeks of the year, the Friends of the Library painstakingly sort through endless boxes of donated books in preparation for one of the greatest used book sales in the United States. Starting February 15, delivery vehicles will descend upon the State Fairgrounds like landing crafts at the Normandy beaches, and a furious week of on-site set-up begins.
This amazing event is entirely driven by volunteers, and all proceeds from the February 21 & 22 Friends Booksale help fund library facilities, services, and programs at the 17 Metropolitan Library System locations all around Oklahoma County. The rock-bottom prices make it an unbeatable shopping experience for readers ($1.00 hardbacks and 50-cent paperbacks! Come on!), but the sheer volume of merchandise on offer has allowed the Friends to donate almost $2.2 million to our community’s libraries over the last 30 years.
It takes a small army of book lovers to set up the sale in the Fairgrounds “Oklahoma Expo” hall. Between 700 and 1,000 volunteers are involved, moving the carefully categorized boxes of books from the Friends “Sort Site” to the Fairgrounds, setting up the well-organized sections for every conceivable genre, working at the holding area where hardcore shoppers can store their treasures while seeking out more, and serving as cashiers at the efficient check-out line. Comparisons to the Allied preparations for D-Day are far from hyperbole.
Not only is the Friends Booksale an essential destination for regional book lovers, but it’s also a really fun event for volunteers. Anyone age 14 and up can spend a few hours helping to set up, run, or take down the whole amazing undertaking.
Volunteer applications can be submitted online, and Friends Membership forms are also available on the website. Not only is it a great way to support Oklahoma County libraries, but an added benefit to membership is admittance to a special Friday night pre-sale on February 20th. The lure of hundreds of thousands of wildly inexpensive books at this special sale draws “Friends” from all over North America — seriously, check out the license plates in the parking lot and you’ll think you’re at Disney World waiting for a tram.
I’ve said it before, but if I had the necessary carpentry skills I could make a killing in the weeks after the Friends Booksale. Enterprising bookcase-builders should be handing out their business cards at the Fairground exits for all the Oklahomans who easily add dozens if not hundreds of books to their personal collections. I know I’ll be bringing home a box (or three) and wishing I had several more shelves on which to store them.
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Comments
Hey, Chris. Does the booksale have graphic novels? I don’t remember seeing them in the past, but I wasn’t looking for them. I’ve just jumped back on to the graphic bandwagon this year. I know there will be tons of good reads, anyway, but I was just curious.
Reggie, the booksale doesn’t have a specific section for graphic novels, but one of the Friends of the Library’s dedicated team of book-sorters told me the best bet to find them would be in the special “Collector’s Choice” room. There’s usually lots of interesting stuff in there, and it’s only slightly more expensive than the regular $1.00 and $0.50 items in the great big Expo hall. I’m going to help set up the weekend before the sale, so I’ll scout out the selection and get back to you!
I can’t wait! I’m going to the Friday night pre-sale, paid my dues and I’m good to go. It’s a book lovers dream come true, and the mad dash to get your spot in the genre table line of your choice is part of the fun. I usually take my luggage with wheels so I can pack it down and still have a roll-along for the waiting to check out line. Then you can drop off the goodies at the various book check points and hit the lines again. Get, ready, get set, but stay away from those titles I want.