Book Sale

45th Anniversary Book Sale

Our big annual sale returns, Thursday, February 29th through Sunday, March 3rd in the SLO Veterans Building, 801 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo. Four years have passed since our last sale, so this one will be the largest ever, featuring roughly 40,000 books.  As always it will include a wide selection of adult, children’s and teen books, as well as DVDs and audio books. Books will be priced at $1.50 per inch, when stacked, and DVDs and CDs 50 cents per box.  A “Special Books” section on the stage will feature more valuable items.

FOL Members will be able to shop the sale exclusively on Thursday, February 29, from 3 – 9 PM. Public sale days are Friday, March 1, through Sunday, March 3, from 9 AM – 6 PM. Starting at 1 PM on Sunday, we will offer all items (except those in the Special Books area) for $5/bag or $10/box.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Preparing for and running the Vets Hall sale is a large endeavor and we greatly appreciate the help we’ve received from our volunteers over the years. Here are some ways we especially need your help again this year:

  • “Heavy lift capable volunteers” (~25-35 pounds) to move boxes of books into and out of the Vets Hall on February 29 and March 4.
  • Donations of pre-owned tablets (Wi-Fi capable) to be used to manage credit transactions during FOL sales.
  • Business or individual sponsors to help cover the costs of putting on the sale. This will maximize the money raised to support the SLO Library.

While any level of donation to the FOL is always greatly appreciated, we’re searching for Bronze ($250), Silver ($500), or Gold ($1,000) level sponsors for this Vets Hall sale. The sponsorships will go a long way in covering costs such as transportation of over 1,000 boxes of books from our warehouse to the Vets Hall, table rentals, sale advertising and signage, plus security for the event as required by the county.

If you are able to support us with any of the above or would like to provide any other volunteer support for the sale, please send an email to admin@slofol.org. Thank you!

To see the Tribune’s video of preparation for a past book sale, click here.

To watch the excitement of opening night at a book sale, click here.

Book Sale History

The first Book Sale was organized in March 1979 by Marjorie Johnson who was then the Assistant Library Director and was held in the lower floor of the Veterans Memorial Building, now home to the Veterans Museum. Since the room size limited patrons to 250 at a time, there were lines of patrons waiting for a chance to buy books at a price of 15 cents per inch. The first sale netted over $1700, and the success of that sale resulted in a move to the main hall in the Vets Building.

In preparation for the Sale, Marjorie secured space in a large warehouse on Kansas Avenue – formerly the laundry for Camp San Luis Obispo. For over 25 years Marjorie and her husband Richard led a team of volunteers who sorted and boxed books for the Sale. Many years later, volunteers still meet regularly to sort and box books.

Over the years Friends of the Library book sales have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Library.

The key to success of the book sale is the work of our volunteers. In addition to those working at the warehouse, dozens of volunteers turn out for the Sale itself. It’s a joyful event, and both volunteers and customers return year after year.

If you would like to volunteer for the Sale or if you would like to donate books for the Sale, please contact us using the appropriate email contact form.

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