Inside the Friends of the Library Book Sale in Ithaca, NY

Spring and fall are my favorite seasons, for all the obvious reasons (first sunshine after and last sunshine before our endless winter, flowers, pumpkins, migratory birds…) — and because that’s when Ithaca’s big Book Sale happens!

Technically, the Friends of the Library Book Sale. But most locals simply call it “the Book Sale,” which tells you something about its size and importance. 

In fact, people will stand in line for hours in snow, rain, or blazing heat for an opportunity to shop the Sale and cheaply restock their year’s supply of reading materials. (Don’t worry. I’ll tell you more below about when to visit so you won’t be getting a sun burn or drenched trying to go book shopping.)

For me, too, it’s a real happy place.

What makes the Friends of the Library Book Sale so great? 

Well, let me take you inside one of the top books sales of its type in the country. I also got some input from Kathy Weinberg and Anne Neirynck, two of the Sale’s coordinators, who shared interesting facts and advice on how to get the most out of your experience.

What is the Friends of the Library Book Sale?

The book sale is put on by the non-profit Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library and takes place over three weekends every May and October.

It’s enough of an institution to have its own giant blue warehouse at 509 Esty Street, with long aisles of shelves filled with 250,000 books, puzzles, games, videos, CDs, sheet music, and computer games — each sale. Unusual items are displayed in the Collector’s Corner.

One of the things I appreciate most about the Sale is that everything is beautifully organized. Whether you’re looking for books in the agriculture, ethnic studies, romance, or young adult sections, a map will tell you exactly where to go. 

All of this is possible thanks to an army of volunteers. Many of them have been with the organization for years, and some are experts in the categories they sort. One of my former Cornell professors, for example, has at some point been in charge of anthropology books as a retirement project. So there’s very little junk, and damaged books never even make it onto the shelves.

I also enjoy that prices go down every weekend — just another excuse to keep returning. So while books will cost between $1.50 and $4.50 (depending on type — hardcover, paperback, sheet music etc) during the first days, by the last day, “bag day,”  you can test your restraint when stuffing shopping bags with books for $1 per bag.

You can’t really go wrong with those prices. And even if you do, just donate the book back. Maybe someone else will like it. As my friend Paul, an avid reader, pointed out, the sale allows you to take a risk on authors you’re not familiar with — at $2 rather than $20 for a new book. He’s made some great discoveries that way.

And for someone like me, trying to live a somewhat minimalist lifestyle, knowing that so many books are available and affordable makes it a lot easier to resist hoarding books at home. I can always get more.

All in all, the organization generates $500,000 in net proceeds a year. About half of that benefits the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) and Finger Lakes Library System. (This explains a lot. Our library system is great!) Funds also go to other non-profit organizations in the area.

Now that I think about it, the Sale epitomizes many of the things I value about this town: people’s love of reading, volunteerism, sharing and reusing of resources, making a fun community event out of everything from apples to books to wizarding (RIP).

Other people seem to feel the same way: “Our community loves the Book Sale,” Kathy and Anne told me. “Just having a place for people to donate rather than recycle their books is important to our community.” 

And that enthusiasm lasts. Not only do people come from all over the region and the United States to visit the Sale. “Many folks who formerly lived in Ithaca, and became familiar with the Sale, time their visits ‘back East’ to coincide with Sales dates,” Kathy and Anne said. “A few of our loyal fans also donate their books to us by mail!”

Book Sale tips and tricks

Here are a few things I’ve learned over the past 15 years of shopping the Sale, including tips directly from the experts, Kathy and Anne:

• Long lines are guaranteed on the first weekend and happen occasionally during the rest of the sale. So come prepared (snacks? tiny folding chair? bring a friend for a chat?). If you want to avoid crowds, the best times to come generally are afternoons and evenings rather than mornings, and Mondays rather than the weekend, according to the Sale coordinators. Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings on the second and third weekends typically also have shorter or no lines.
• You can see exactly what the line is doing at this livestream. (Or, if you’re driving in from farther away, Kathy and Anne said, feel free to call to get a best-guess prediction on what the line will look like when you arrive.)

• If you’re set on finding specific books, come on the first weekend. You can save the leisurely browsing for the following weekends.
• It’s worth coming back in any case, because only about 70% of items are out on the floor on the first day; the rest is in storage and gets restocked as the sale progresses.
• There are per checkout limits on the first weekend, but you can get back in line for more. (Also be aware that on the first weekend you’ll be in the company of many dealers who are scanning books with handheld devices to find the best picks.)
• There is a way to get in before everyone else at a pre-sale: become a volunteer, or donate at the member level ($100+). 
• I find it helpful to keep a running list of books, authors, and categories that I can whip out at the Sale.
• Come armed with a bag, box — or rolling suitcase. (Not kidding — a large rolling backpack has saved my back several times.) Bags and boxes may be available but aren’t guaranteed.
• The categories map and current price list are posted at the sale, but you can study them online in advance.
• Collectors Corner items are updated online. 
• This is a great place to purchase foreign language books, including children’s books. I’m hugely grateful that I can find fresh German materials here for my kids.
• If you’d like to donate books to the organization, check their website for dates and times. No donations are accepted during the Sale.

Special days:

• Dime Day: last Monday of the sale (10 cents per item on main floor)
• Bag Day: last Tuesday of the sale ($1 standard grocery bag full of items)
• special Student and Senior & Disabilities Days
• Non-profit Day: Wednesday after the Sale, including teachers with ID

Children’s Corner

Move over, Scholastic!

Seriously, there are so, so many children’s books, coloring books, CDs, and videos — nearly 40,000 every sale. That’s not even counting the puzzles and games in a separate section!

There’s so much to choose from that towards the end of the sale I still found loads of quality books. So even on the last weekend and on Senior Day (grandparents are often seen browsing!) and Student Night, when softcover children’s books cost $0.10, a visit is definitely worth it.

I’m actually considering taking my kids to the next sale on bag day and giving them free rein to pick whatever strikes their fancy. Why not, for a dollar?

If you do choose to bring your kids, I’d recommend one of the slower days (see above) so you don’t have to deal with the lines. (There is a bathroom available in the sales building.)

Other cool facts about the Book Sale

Let’s close with a few more tidbits about the Sale:

• The Sale starts from scratch every single time (with the exception of the Collector’s Corner). Imagine a quarter of a million books flowing in, being sorted and restocked onto the shelves!
• 80% of items are sold each sale.
• But what happens with all those books remaining at the end of the Sale? They’re given to Thrift Books, which donates them to charities or sells them online (and a percentage of the sale comes back to the Book Sale).
• 5,000 to 6,000 items are donated to public and school libraries every year. TCPL can select unlimited items for free, and nearby schools may refresh their stocks with a set number of books as well. (I love how the books cycle through the community!)
• The first Book Sale took place in 1947, with net proceeds of $450 that were used to purchase a phonograph and records for TCPL.

What do you think, will you be heading to the Sale this year? What has it been like when you’ve visited? Share in the comments below!

Things to do nearby

• If you need a break, you could head over to nearby Purity ice cream, one of the great ice cream shops I’ve reviewed here.
• The Sciencenter is also close by and a fun place to be with kids.

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