Staff
Looking to get rid of some books as part of your spring cleaning?
Or hoping to get more books to bring up the lake for your summer reading?
Then you’ll be happy to know the “Friends of the Library” will hold its annual book sale tomorrow (May 25) from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre.
“Friends” member Davetta Sheppard said the book sale has been annual tradition for several decades now.
“A lot of people look forward to coming by and picking up a big bag of paperbacks to take to the lake,” she noted.
“We even have lodge owners drop in and buy a supply.
“The last weekend in May [also] is the Memorial Day weekend, so we’ve got a lot of tourists coming through,” added Sheppard.
Book-lovers who can’t make it to the sale tomorrow may seek some consolation in the fact any leftover books will continue to be sold at the library next week.
But Sheppard urged readers to come to the sale as soon as it starts tomorrow in order to get first pick of the best ones.
The book sale also is one of the group’s two main fundraisers, along with its Valentine’s Day bake sale.
“Now that we’ve got our new library, the money we raise is mostly for programs or to bring authors in—things like that where the funding doesn’t come under the normal
funding from the town,” explained Sheppard.
She added “Friends” also pitch in to provide food and beverages at some library functions during the year.
Volunteers have been working diligently for the past couple of days to get ready for the sale, organizing books into different categories (such as fiction and non-fiction) and genres (i.e., mystery and romance).
“It’s all sorted out,” Sheppard said. “We’ve got a couple of really sharp people who know what they’re doing, like Laurel Halvorsen.
“She has always helped us organize these books and she knows what she’s doing.
“She also knows what’s not worth putting out,” added Sheppard.
While there is no shortage of books on hand, donations will be accepted up to the start of the sale tomorrow morning.
Sheppard noted most types of books are acceptable, but asked that encyclopedias and old magazines be left at home as it’s not very likely anyone will buy them.
Books will be sold for prices ranging from 50 cents for some paperbacks to $2 for good hardcovers.
