Just Your Luck: Books For A Buck – or Less

Pleasanton residents will have the opportunity to browse through best-seller books, popular DVDs and classic literary collections this weekend and purchase them without denting their wallets.

Hosted by the Friends of Pleasanton Library, the Spring 2011 Book Sale features about 35,000 items, including stationery and flash cards, books and posters.

The sale runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday in the Meeting Room of the , 400 Old Bernal Ave.

Members of the Friends of Pleasanton Library are welcome to begin shopping 6  to 9 p.m. Friday.

The variety of books is endless. From collections of Oscar Wilde and William Shakespeare to Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, the sale can fill anyone's bookshelf.

Gillian McKie was impressed as she browsed Wednesday as part of a sneak peek for Pleasanton Unified School District employees. She works in the district’s Library and Media Services Department.

“There’s something for everybody,” McKie said.

Volunteers have been preparing for the book sale for the past week, said Julie Farnsworth, director of the Pleasanton Library.

Friends of Pleasanton Library hosts book sales twice a year. According to Farnsworth, the volunteer organization generates about $50,000 in donations each year and each book sale brings in about $20,000.

The organization's ongoing booksale throughout the year in which the community can leave their donations in a locked box generates about $1,000 each month, and Friends of Pleasanton Library also sells more rare books on Amazon.com.

All donations raised by the group are used to support programs, supplies and equipment within the library, she said.

“They are a gift to us, they are a wonderful, wonderful support to the library,” Farnsworth said of the Friends group. “And it’s not just the money.”

Members of Friends of Pleasanton Library often volunteer at the library, assuming duties such as mending books, processing magazines and leading programs.

But the success of each book sale depends on more than the commitment of Friends of the Pleasanton Library members and other volunteers, said Marilyn Swanson, book sale event chair and Friends vice president.

“Everything is donated," she said. "People in Pleasanton are extremely generous.” 

Volunteers unloaded books and items from 850 boxes for this weekend’s book sale. Every corner of the room is full of items waiting to be purchased. Books and multimedia elements are organized by genre.

“We have an incredible amount of stuff in this huge room and it’s still not big enough,” Swanson said.

Friday’s sale is open to members only but memberships will be sold at the door. A year’s membership is $10 for an individual, $15 for a family and $5 for students through grade 12.

A lifetime membership for an individual costs $100 and a lifetime membership for a couple is $150.

Membership and donations to the Friends of the Pleasanton Library are tax deductible.