Towers of boxes line fill the basement in the downtown Beaumont Public Library. Each box is filled with books waiting for their new owner.
The Friends of the Library will host its annual used Book Sale, March 27-28, at the downtown library. Bibliophiles will be able to buy a paper grocery sack for $2 which they can fill with as many books as will fit. Visitors can buy as many sacks as they please.
FOL members get early access, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., March 27. Memberships may be purchased at the door for $10 for an individual and $20 for a family. Free general admission is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 28.
Friends of the Library was formed to support the Beaumont Library System by providing the system with materials they need for the summer reading program and other outreach activities.
“What we can do is help them with needs that they have that aren’t met by their budget,” Cathy Saur Allen, FOL president, said. “So, that’s really what all of our fundraising is for. We also try to help promote the library and all the great services they have going on. We also volunteer at some of their outreach events if they need additional hands.”
The book sale is held once a year and is the library’s main fundraiser, Allen said.
“When they have books that are going to be withdrawn from the library and are no longer needed, they give them to us,” she said. “So, we have all these books, and that’s mainly what it is. It’s just a fundraiser to support.”
The books will be separated by categories, Allen said, to help buyers find what they want.
“It can be kind of overwhelming when you shop it,” Allen said. “You kind of have to just get in your focus, because it’s just so many books, and you can kind of get lost in searching. But that’s the fun of it.”
Former FOL president Elaine Wikstrom said originally people could just buy books for 10 cents each. However, the checkout lines would get too long.
“Now we sell them as many grocery bags as they want, $2 each, and they fill them up,” she said. “And sometimes they overfill them and tear. A lot of people have figured out that it’s a good idea to bring a box and put the bag in the box, and it makes it easier to carry.
“And then other people bring friends, and some people will fill up one or two bags, take them to the car, come back and do it again.”
Public libraries receive an allocated budget for spending that doesn’t allow for additional programs. The proceeds from the sale benefit the library and the public., Wikstrom said.
“We support the librarians, we support the libraries and support the programs,” Wikstrom said. “So, anytime they need a little something extra, we’re there. That way, the general public gets an enhanced program, whereas they might have gotten a cheaper program. It works out for everybody. Everybody gets a little something out of it.”
For more information, visit beaumonttexas.gov/271/Friends-of-the-Library.
