The sale of discarded library books and audio-visual materials, as well as books donated by community members, is a major ongoing activity of the Friends, accounting for a substantial amount of the organization’s annual income. Sales occur at the Old Worthington Library (OWL), Northwest Library (NWL) and at special sale events.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions at our libraries, book sales were suspended in March 2020 and only recently resumed at NWL. Congested access to the book storage room at OWL has prevented the resumption of sales there. Library officials are still determining when lobby and event sales can begin. When approval is given, volunteers will be ready to work, according to Connie Kobalka, who along with her husband Walt, helps coordinate approximately 20 book-sale volunteers.
In a normal year, their efforts typically generate approximately 45 percent of the organization’s annual income, which along with other revenues is used to support library programs and staff. See related story here.
About 85 percent of the books on sale are discarded from the library’s collection. Library staff consider a number of factors when discarding item, including overall condition, circulation, patron demand and, in the case of non-fiction books, continued relevance and accuracy.
“With limited shelf space and new materials being continually added to the collection, it’s not feasible to keep every library item ever purchased,” says Monica Baughman, director of support services. “The resale of discarded items through the Friends’ sales helps pay for library programing and supports staff recognition and development.”
Once the books and other materials are removed from the shelves, the volunteers take over. In a storage room at OWL, they sort the books in broad categories and box them so they’re ready to be displayed on sales shelves designated for the Friends at OWL and NWL.
A variety of books and AV materials are available, including fiction, nonfiction and children’s literature, at bargain prices, ranging from 50 cents to $2.
In addition to the ongoing library sales, the Friends also holds special sales four or five times a year at OWL on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A special preview night is held for members of the Friends on Thursday, so they can check out and purchase the items before the public sale. Sunday’s sales are even discounted. The volunteers also hold pop-up sales, often theme-related, at even lower prices.
“The great part of any Friends’ book sale is you never know what you’ll find, and that’s what keeps people coming back,” notes coordinator Connie.
Want to explore being a volunteer for the various book-sale projects? Get started by clicking here, [email protected].