By Mary Owen
Thursday, Oct. 6, 5-8 p.m.
Early Bird Night.
Hardcovers $1.50,
paperbacks 75 cents,
children’s books 50 cents,
videotapes $1.
Romance 10 for $1.50.
Friday, Oct. 7, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.,
Hardcovers $1,
paperbacks 50 cents,
children’s books 25 cents.
Saturday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. is Bag Day.
Bring a bag and fill it for $5. .
More than 12,000 books
will be offered at bargain
prices at the upcoming
Friends of the Library book sale.
“We usually raise between $2,000 to $3,000 from the sale,” said Carole Tabor, who is chairing the Oct. 6-8 event at the Stayton Community Center. “The money funds extras for the library throughout the year.”
Friends of the Library funds the library copy machine, youth summer reading programs, movie licensing and special exhibits.
“One year we funded a whole set of encyclopedias,” Tabor said. “We held a Needle and Thread show, where people brought anything made with a needle and thread. It has become quite a popular event.”
Tabor said the first Friends of the Library book sale was held in the 1980s in the basement of the building that now houses the Santiam Historical Society. Proceeds from the sale were “$300 tops,” she said.
Tabor invites book lovers of all ages to browse through the sale offerings.
Tabor said lots of volunteer are needed to move books from the group’s storage facility to the Community Center.
“If you put in several hours of work, you can have first pick of the books,” she said. “The Kiwanis usually have a hand truck brigade, but we can always use volunteers.”
Friends of the Library hosts sales in October and April. In between, books are sold at the Friends’ bookstore in Paul Toews’ Art Gone Wild Gallery on Stayton’s Third Avenue.
“We had a booth outside his store at SummerFest three years ago, and he approached us about the bookstore idea,” Tabor said.
Even with the growing demand for e-books, the store serves about a dozen customers daily, Tabor said.
“There are still people who like to hold a book in their hand,” she said. “Our prices are really great! Hardbacks are $3 and mass-market paperbacks are $1. On Thursdays, we trade three for one, westerns two for one. Can’t beat that!
“We have regulars who shop here,” she added. “People come and browse. We’ll be here for awhile.”
Open from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, the store runs with volunteer help, which Tabor said is always needed. Books come from colleges, universities, businesses, libraries, overstock from bookstores, and private collections.
“The library gets first pick, and may keep books to replace worn editions or to add to its stock of popular books in the collection,” said Pam Pugsley, former Stayton Public Library director and Friends of the Library president. “The remaining books are sold at the store.”
What doesn’t sell is added to the storage container for the Friends’ sales.
“None are thrown away,” Pugsley said. “People from different agencies come to pick up what books are left to use at their own sales. This October, what’s left will go free to Spruce Villa, a nonprofit that works with people with mental and physical challenges.”
Last year, Friends of the Library donated $5,000 to library foundation.
“Most of our volunteers are in their 60s,” Pugsley said. “We need some ‘youngsters’ to join our group. Come and join us. It’s good community service and all helps the library!”
Friends of the Library meets at 11 a.m. on the third Monday of the month, September through May. For information, call the bookstore at 503-769-2309 or Tabor at 503-769-2300 or visit www.folstore.org.
