The 11th Annual Spring Used Book Sale was a resounding success. From Friday, April 27 through Sunday, April 29, many visitors, volunteers and staff contributed to the sale in the Gresham Station Shopping Center. The official record shows that the sale brought in $33,129.49 from its 2,083 visitors. This was the first Spring Sale with a members only pre-sale on Friday night, rather than the traditional Saturday morning time. The proceeds go directly to supporting the Multnomah County Library system.
With over 20,000 donated books and audiovisual materials, the Spring Sale brought together a wide spectrum of volunteers and patrons. For some volunteers, the experience was just another year in more than a decade of book sales; for others (like me), it was the very first day! While there were many different positions, I was a “Volunteer at Large.” I answered general questions about pricing and locations, and kept the tables tidy. I also made empty boxes available for the bulk buyers, of which there were plenty.
Regardless of time served, the sale’s offerings were on a first-come, first-served basis. That’s why I couldn’t believe that I scored a copy of Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from Storycorps, and a 1946 edition of The West-Ward Crossings: Balboa, Mackenzie, Lewis and Clark by Jeannette Mirsky. Both purchases were perfect for upcoming Mother’s and Father’s Day. Did I mention that I bought them on Sunday, when everything was 50% off? One patron, Ann Rowland, exclaimed, “I spent only $24.50 for seven books and five movies!”
The selection of donated material was extensive, ranging from vinyl records, CD’s, DVD’s, to vintage and rare books, children’s books, and current best-sellers. One lady I talked to told me the unlikely story of how she was reunited with a book she had donated years earlier -- it had her initials in it and everything. I guess the circle of good stuff is small. I certainly plan to donate any materials I have for the Fall Used Book Sale, because I want to be a part of that circle of sharing.
This Spring Sale was important for recruiting new Friends of the Library members and volunteers, in addition to promoting awareness of the upcoming Library Levy. As many of you know, the current levy expires in June, and without the May 15th approval, our libraries would lose 65% of their funding. Hopefully you’ve received your ballot in the mail and have marked “yes” for this pivotal library mandate.
Above all, this sale would not have been possible without its volunteers. If you didn’t get a chance to participate in this one, don’t miss out in the next. There are plenty of ways to volunteer with the Friends of the Multnomah County Library.
