The doors of the Oak Park Library, 834 Lake St., burst open and hundreds of community members stream through the door, spreading out across the three floors of the library to find their books of choice.
This is how Kathleen Bell, vice president of the Friends of the Oak Park Public Library, describes her favorite moment of the annual Friends of the Oak Park Library book sale: the first day the sale opens to the public.
“That first day energy. … there’s something special for a lot of the volunteers, about opening the doors the first time and seeing the people really kind of flood in and start to look for their finds,” Bell said.
This year, the used book sale will be held for the 53rd time from Friday, July 11 until Sunday, July 13. The sale, Bell said, is one of the largest not just locally, but also in the Midwest and attracts book lovers from all over the Chicagoland area.
“It’s just a great way that we keep getting books into the hands of the Oak Park community and get the right book to the right person at the right time,” Bell said.
With around 50,000 books collected in the month prior to last year’s sale, and “books on every possible topic,” from fiction to non-fiction to children’s books, Bell is certain that everyone who attends the sale will be able to find a book that interests them.
Almost 200 volunteers have been collecting these book donations for the past six weeks and working to sort and organize displays of the books for the sale. This team ranges from people who have been volunteering for years to brand new volunteers, Bell said.
“The thing that all the volunteers share in common, the thing that brings us together, is a love of books,” Bell said. “Whether it’s a new best seller that we’re all gushing over and lining up to read, or a vintage book that just has a beautiful cover and great illustrations, it’s amazing to have this community of people who love books, who love the library.”
Elizabeth Latterell is a volunteer this year. She grew up going to the sale with her grandmother, mother and siblings. Latterell said she has always greatly enjoyed attending the sale and wished more people in the community were aware of it.
“Books carry knowledge, and knowledge should be accessible to everyone,” Latterell said. “I just think it’s important to have a place where people can access stories and information for not as high a price as you would normally have to pay.”
All funds raised through the sale will go towards the library, which Bell said is important “this year, more so than ever, given the cuts to some of the programs that are funded at a larger level.”
Adult books will be sold for $2 for hardcovers, $1 for trade paperbacks and 50 cents for mass market paperbacks. Children’s books will be sold for $1 for hardcovers and 50 cents for paperbacks and boardbooks. DVDs and CDs will be available for purchase for $1 each and games and puzzles will be sold for $2 each. Rare books will be priced individually.
On Sunday, books will be free for nonprofits and teachers to “give back to the community,” Bell said.
“Oak Park Library is really an amazing place,” Bell said. “It’s a beautiful physical space, and it has so much more than books. I think they’ve really built the spirit of community, and a spirit of community that is reaching out into the Oak Park community as well.”
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