Cheap books: A local library tradition

Bargain books at bargain prices for extraordinary minds with extraordinary amounts of free time can be found at the library this weekend.\nThe Monroe County Library will play host to "Winter Overstock Book Sale" that is being brought to community members by the Friends of the Library -- a community organization dedicated to preserving the value of a library. Sales times are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Book sale customers can buy a $2 "bag" of books the last four hours of the two-day used book community give away. \nBloomington resident Fran Weisman, a library volunteer, said library guests are treated to the book sale every Tuesday throughout the year. She said used book buyers should plan on spending plenty of time browsing before they buy. \n"The books are either donated or withdrawn from the library's stock," Weisman said. "Usually the books are put out on Monday evening after the library closes. Somebody comes to restock about 2 p.m., but not all the time."\nNefertiti, a resident of Grand Rapids, Mich., and library book sale visitor, said she is always on the look-out for ancient history books at book sales and fairs, especially anything pertaining to Africa.\n"No matter what status you are socioeconomically, you can read about the world through books," Nefertiti said. "I think books open peoples' hearts up, there is always knowledge that leads to wisdom. Not that books know it all, a head wrote the book; a book did not write the head."\nNelson Shaffer, an IU geology researcher, said he typically browses the book sale each week for science books and otherwise out-of-print literature. \n"This is a great service they offer for the community," Shaffer said. "(The workers) are all volunteers; the books are all donated; the money goes back into the library foundation."\nSenior Amber Rogers, who works at the library check-out desk, said books, magazines, other literature and multimedia can be donated to library staff at any desk on any floor.\n"People just walk up and give us the books," Rogers said. "We will also pick up large donations if people call and ask us. We give a tax receipt if people want one. It's a good thing for the community." \nSale prices vary depending on the wide selection of available sale items: $.25 for fiction books, $.50 for adult nonfiction paperbacks, $1 for adult nonfiction hardbacks, $.25 for children's paperbacks, $.50 children's hardbacks, $.25 for records and phonographs and $.10 for magazines, among others -- unless otherwise marked.\nWeisman said there is no one "common" book sale customer. She said people from all socioeconomic classes enjoy the selection found for community members willing to search for hidden bargains. Weisman said, for instance, many students seem to enjoy purchasing encyclopedias, reference materials such as National Geographic Magazine and used -- often past editions -- of many textbooks still currently in use. \n"We do have lots of students who come by," Weisman said. "We also have lots of people from the community who stop in. Some people spend more than $50; some don't buy anything. The library made more than $70,000 last year. Sometimes kids come in with pennies; I tell them the library is giving them a scholarship -- under the table. We have something here for everyone."\nNefertiti said she grew up loving libraries because they contribute to a reusable environment.\n"Books get recycled," Nefertiti said. "I think people are always shopping for cheap things. Book sales allow people to experiment in areas they might not be good in. There are books here for judo and how to eliminate salt from a diet. I could spend a hour here just looking at the National Geographic's."\nWeisman said she began her love affair with books during her childhood living in the Pacific islands of Southeast Asia. Her family moved to the United States in 1945, and Weisman said she was initially overwhelmed by her access to free and reused knowledge found in American libraries.\n"I grew up during the Second World War in the Philippines," Weisman said. "We used twigs for writing and banana leaves for paper. We started off with one book, for maybe 50 students. I probably collect books because I memorized all the books I read when I was a kid." \nShaffer said typical booksale customers are "people from all walks of life." He said he has enjoyed interacting with students, teachers, lawyers and otherwise everyday folks. \n"No one owns a book," Shaffer said. "You just share the experience -- talk to each other and show people, especially young people, how to do things (like read). Somebody showed you, and you will show somebody the same thing. Some people come out of here with buckets of books."\n-- Contact City & State Editor David A. Nosko at dnosko@indiana.edu