From Sept. 11 to 14, the Friends of the Pleasanton Library hosted their Fall Book and Media Sale. Books, CDs, DVDs, and puzzles were sold to raise funds for the Pleasanton Public Library.
“It’s nice to support the public library because it’s local. And I like getting things for cheap,” said event attendee Rebecca Way.
Diverse and affordable items
This year, book prices ranged from fifty cents to $2. Volunteers collected and sold a variety of genres, including horror, fantasy, children’s, and nonfiction. Music, including CDs and vinyl, sold for $1 to $2.
“My favorite part is probably just seeing all the little kids picking out all the books and looking through old vinyl records and CDs and seeing what they have,” said volunteer Avery Harrison.
The money raised from the event directly funds the library’s resources, including new books, shelves, and computer stations. It also helps to fund programs like Paws-to-Read and the summer reading program.
“I like the summer reading program and the book group reading site… I did that with my kids for years. And it was really wonderful to have a program. We took out books every week. They had a reward at the end…And it was really awesome in the summer,” said longtime Pleasanton resident Lisa Knudtson.
Rewards of volunteering
Though the profits for this year have not been released, the book sales typically generate $10,000 to $15,000. Last year, the sale raised $17,500. Since the event focuses on fundraising, volunteers run it entirely.
“It’s just so relaxing because usually when you volunteer, they have things you need to do, right? Here, everyone is just helping reorganize items…It’s really nice,” said Harrison.
Some volunteers started working months ahead of the sale. After the March sale ended, volunteers began collecting new donations to restart the process. While the preparations may be lengthy, volunteers believe that the fundraiser offers numerous benefits to the community.
“This is our local place, and it’s nice to have a community place. It’s public, and I just love libraries. It’s a symbol of community and being together and having things to share,” said Way.
