Photo courtesy of Marti Slay
Friends of the Trussville Library Bookstore Chair Marcia Ward invites residents to browse the bookstore.
Friends of the Trussville Library will celebrate the fifth anniversary of their used bookstore, located near the auditorium in the Trussville Library, on July 23 from 2-4 p.m.
“For many, many years, we would collect used books and hold book sales twice a year to raise money for the library,” said Marcia Ward, bookstore committee chair. “The storage was expensive and moving all those heavy books was hard on our volunteers.”
When the library was renovated and enlarged in 2018, space was provided for a used bookstore, and the Friends volunteers say it has been a success.
“We are now raising more money in a year than we used to with the labor-intensive book sales,” Ward said.
Volunteers staff the bookstore from 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 2-4 on Sundays.
“We could raise more money to support the library with more volunteers,” Ward said. “If you become a member of Friends of the Library and can give change, you can work in the bookstore. Some of our workers sort and shelve books, but it isn’t required.”
In addition to finding more volunteers so they can be open longer hours, the Friends seek used books.
“The bigger selection we have, the more money we can donate to the library for their programs,” Ward said. “We accept gently used paperback and hardback fiction or nonfiction. We prefer books published within the past 10 years, but we always have a supply of the classics as well. We cannot accept textbooks or magazines, however.”
Even after five years, Ward says many people are still “discovering” the bookstore. She encourages Trussville area residents to come browse the selection and stock up on books for summer reading. “We are constantly getting donations and rotating stock. You never know when you may discover a new favorite author or an old treasure.”
Friends of the Trussville Library supports the library by making financial donations for programming and providing extra hands for special events. All bookstore proceeds are returned for library use, including summer reading and other special programs. The Friends also raise money through the annual Bookin’ It 5K. This year’s race takes off at 8 a.m., Saturday, October 14, 2023. Registration is $25.
Monthly Friends of the Library meetings are held at the library the first Tuesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. Membership is $10 per year.
- Submitted by Marti Slay
