“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island,” Walt Disney once said, and bibliophiles will soon have a fortune to choose from at the annual Friends of the Turlock Public Library book sale.
Over 13,000 books will be available to purchase during the weekend of Jan. 24-26, with a massive collection of genres like mystery, romance, fiction and more up for grabs at prices of just $.50 to $1.
“Friends of the library have collected books all year and have stored them in a barn and kept them there until they are moved for the annual sale to the church,” said Linda Davenport of FTPL, adding that the move can take the group many hours and is a community effort. “This event has brought in book lovers from near and far since the 1990s.”
The event has grown since it first began nearly 30 years ago, going from a small sale of just 200 books to the large-scale fundraiser that is has become today. In past years, the book sale has brought in thousands of dollars that help the library fund children’s programs, purchase new books and other materials, pay for periodical subscriptions and for furniture replacement.
This year, 20 percent of the proceeds from the book sale will go toward funding for the soon-to-be new and expanded library.
In 2015, the Friends of the Turlock Public Library set their sights on relocating the library in Turlock or expanding on the current footprint. The current Turlock Library was built in 1968, for a population of 30,000. The city’s population has more than doubled since that time, now more than 72,000. The current library facility has no dedicated meeting rooms or space for library programming, such as children’s Story Times and informational presentations for consumers.
In October 2017, the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors voted to initiate the Turlock Library Expansion Project and issued a request for proposals for design and planning services. Most recently, the library expansion passed another hurdle when the Board approved a funding plan for the project in December.
According to Davenport, groundbreaking for the project will take place in 2020 with an expected completion date of 2021.
Book lovers line up before the three-day sale even begins most years, eager to get their hands on discounted, lightly used books. FTPL members will have early access to the books, but the first day the sale is open to the public is typically the most popular, said Davenport.
The book sale will start with a members’ only night from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 24. Memberships, which are $10 for individuals and $20 for families, will be sold at the door. The book sale will open to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 25 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 26. The book sale will be inside the First United Methodist Church at 1660 Arbor Way at the corner of Berkeley Avenue and E. Main Street.
Hardbound books are generally $1 and paperbacks will cost $.50. Children's books are priced at $.50 and $.25. Rare and book sets will vary in price.
