By Valarie Schwartz
Ours is a book-crazy community.
Why not? It’s the stock-in-trade for many who live here — scholars, professors, writers — creating a booming business for used-book sellers and local libraries as people move, downsize or otherwise clear out their old books.
Bibliophiles mark their calendars for the months when the public libraries hold their quarterly sales. But the Wilson Library sale, which happens every other year, gets a little less attention.
This year, the new venue of the sale promises to bring more support. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, March 28, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, at the American Legion Building Post 6 on Legion Road. Friends of this UNC Library (of which anyone may become a member at the door for $25) get the opportunity to shop today [Thursday] from 5 to 8 p.m. Parking at the sale will be ample, free and nearby, unlike on campus.
Last week, half a dozen members of the University Woman’s Club and one husband of a member were at the task they spend many Tuesday mornings at — sorting through the many boxes of books that are donated at Wilson Library.
“A lot of alumni and professors naturally gravitate to giving to Carolina,†said Mary Morrow, who has been helping conduct sales for 18 to 20 years.
Though the books are sold for a fraction of their original cost, the dollars add up and have provided about $150,000 to the library endowment over the decades.
“The interesting thing is the many categories,†said Eleanor Morris, as she pointed out history, religion, hobbies, humor, chess, gardening — to name a few. There are gorgeous coffee table art books, and many sets of books, including ones in foreign languages.
Phil Rees, a former art librarian, gets called upon to inspect the books before the sale to catch any that need to be specially priced, like signed or special-edition books.
Collectors and sellers tend to hit the sales first, buying at a greatly reduced rate before putting the purchases on their own shelves to admire or sell. On Saturday, which is bag day ($3 for however much fits into a bag), all manner of people help to clear the shelves.
Prices vary, getting cheaper as the selection narrows.
“The man who empties the shelves fills a shipping container and sends them to India to be bound by hand,†Morrow explained. “We got to see one of the hand-bound books.†She said that they are used in model homes and movie and TV sets, among other places.
The work for a sale begins in November in the bowels of Wilson Library, meeting every other Tuesday until February, when it becomes a weekly practice of unpacking boxes, sorting into categories, repacking boxes and stacking them out of the way. Over 500 boxes of books are ready to sell.
“The reason it takes us nine months to get ready for a sale is we stop and talk about them,†Morris said of the books that provide interest for any curious mind.
Although most of the volunteers who help are members of the University Woman’s Club, there is no rule about who can be a part of this action.
“We accept anybody who wants to help,†Morrow said.
Contact Valarie Schwartz at 923-3746 or valariekays@mac.com.