WACO, Texas — The 58th annual Book Sale by the Friends of Waco-McLennan County kicked off at the ExtraCo Events Center Thursday.
Proceeds from the event go towards helping the Waco-McLennan library afford extra programming such as their outreach book vehicle and their kid's summer reading club.
Jessica Emmett-Sellers, a spokesperson for the library, said the fundraiser is what allows librarians to afford creative events throughout the year.
“Without the friends of the library, the library would still exist but it would just function, it wouldn’t thrive,” said Emmett-Sellers. So doing something like this, having a big fundraiser of this magnitude helps us thrive.”
This year the event will feature more than 60,000 books at bargain prices.
Ty Herring is a volunteer who has helped organize the event. For him, it’s about supporting the local library and passing on the joy of reading to the next generation.
“Whether it’s electronic or by book, whichever way it is, I believe that people go and advance themselves through education and that begins with reading,” said Herring. “In that same spirit, we can make a change for the future generation.”
This is the first year back for the book sale after it was canceled last year due to COVID-19.
Herring says they received an influx in books during the pandemic from people who were cleaning out their closets and libraries.
The event will be held from Thursday to Sunday. You can find more information on the library’s website.