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The Friends of the Library in Invermere are eagerly gearing up for their Big Book Sale on Saturday, Aug. 5.
“While the BIG Book Sale is a lot of work, it is also a fun occasion where valley residents and visitors connect with each other over a love of reading … and getting a bargain,” said Lynda Tutty, chair of the Friends of the Library.
Fifteen years ago the sale was born as a way to raise funds for the Invermere Public Library. At the time, the library was located in the former RCMP detachment adjacent to the museum before moving to its current location in the Columbia Valley Centre in 2017. This move and the expansion of the collection and the extensive services the library provides to the community require funding.
The BIG Book Sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. is the premier fundraising vehicle of the Friends of the Library. Thousands of books are donated throughout the year by generous people in the community. As each book arrives at the donation bin, a dedicated team of volunteers checks the publication date and condition, sorts them by genre and boxes them in preparation for the sale. On sale day, even more volunteers jump into action at about 6:30 a.m. to set up tents, tables and signs, as well as unbox the books.
The volunteers have hundreds of hours of experience that allow them to know what will sell. For several reasons, not all books will make it to the sale. They are older or they are damaged (broken spines, missing pages or covers, water stained, with mildew or mould).
The Friends of the Library welcome donations of gently used books and jigsaw puzzles right up until the day of the sale. At any time, books can be dropped off in the donation bin in front of the Book Donation Centre beside the courthouse.
