Book lovers can look forward to this weekend, when the 28th Annual Friends of Eugene Public Library Book Sale takes place at the Lane County Fairgrounds Performance Hall.
This year the sale will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale will feature about 60,000 new and used books and will raise money for the Eugene Public Library.
The sale’s books include those for every taste, and many will cost $1. Highlights include best sellers in “like-new condition” as well as rare and specialty items, boxes of children’s and teen books and an “Oregon” section, which is new this year, according to the Eugene Public Library Web site. If books aren’t enough of a motivation to attend this weekend, look forward to an abundance of CDs, DVDs, videos, audio books, records, sheet music and cassettes.
“I’m astonished at the number of boxes and boxes of CDs and DVDs and recorded books – you know, books on tapes and books on CDs – boxes and boxes of sheet music, just all kinds of stuff,” book sale organizer Carol Hildebrand said about this year’s selection.
The annual book sale is sponsored by Friends of Eugene Public Library, a non-profit organization that provides countless hours of sorting, pricing and storing items until the sale rolls around in April. Almost 90 percent of all donations the organization receives are from the Eugene community.
“Our purpose is to support Eugene Public Library. The money the book sale has provided from the last few years have been used to pay for programs at the library,” Hildebrand said about the Friends of Eugene Public Library. Programs that receive funds from the sale include a children’s story time, puppet shows and bilingual programs.
This year the book sale will be moved from the Wheeler Pavilion to the Performance Hall, which is twice the size of the previous venue. This will allow more room for tables, more books and adds comfort to browsing visitors, Hildebrand said. Items will be categorized by category, making it easy for visitors to find what they want. She encourages the college crowd to check out the sale, not only to find some great reads for their enjoyment but also for recent computer books and software, CDs and DVDs.
“If you’re looking for beach books for the summer this is the place to come,” Hildebrand added.
Last year more than 300 volunteers helped with the book sale and raised $75,000 to “support and enhance Eugene Public Library programs and services, especially programs for children and families,” according to the Eugene Public Library Web site. The annual book sale is a yearlong process that begins with the public donating books. Friends of the Eugene Public Library volunteers sort the books and store them until April.
The book sale expects about 2,000 people on Saturday and Sunday, including dealers and collectors from out of state. Hildebrand said that by 9 a.m. there will be a huge line and that it’s best to show-up around 7:30 a.m. if you want to find something specific or avoid a mob.
Hildebrand encourages people who miss the sale to visit the downtown Eugene Public Library’s used bookstore. No donations will be accepted at the book sale, but the downtown library always accepts donations. The drop-off site is located in the library’s parking garage.
Admission and parking for the Friends of Eugene Public Library Book Sale are free.

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