The James Bowie high school Library kicked off its Used Book Sale on October 27, offering students, staff, and teachers a chance to buy affordable books. The sale will continue until November 7, and feature a wide variety of genres. 

“I really liked the book sale because there’s a variety of genres,” Junior Lauren Crum said. “It’s a good atmosphere because everyone is either finding or recommending books.”

Most of the books sold were donated by community members in the past three years since the last event.

“My family and I over the years like to donate books we’ve either already read or grown out of,” Junior Diana Piorkowski said. “It’s a good feeling knowing that we’re helping the library and community.”  

Events like these can come with challenges that require back up plans. According to librarian Tara Walker-Leon, the hardest part is figuring out what to do with the books that don’t sell.  

“The challenge is sifting through inappropriate material that is donated and figuring out what to do with leftover books,” Walker-Leon said. “I have two options: either stockpiling the books that don’t sell in the back until next year, or bring them to Half Price Books where I don’t raise any money and many get left on the shelves.”   

This year, there’s a twist on the event where students and families can donate money towards teachers to shop for free books to add to their classrooms.

“I wanted to find a way to give back to the teachers,” Walker-Leon said. “They’re always supporting students, so this is a way to grow their classroom libraries.” 

Crum has also expressed excitement about the event, admitting to trying new genres she normally never would’ve picked up. 

“It’s an inexpensive way to pick up and try new books,” Crum said. “I even bought a test prep book in the past to help me study and prepare for assessments.”

The main goal of the sale is to raise money for the library, and promote more reading among students by making books accessible and inexpensive.

“The goal of the book sale is to raise funds during the two weeks period,” Walker-Leon said. “The idea is to use the money to create an activity account, which allows me to spend money on various things like t-shirts for my book clubs or conferences. My favorite part about hosting the event is when kids come to the library that don’t normally visit.”