With several volumes to choose from, the Stevenson Ranch Library held a book sale with the help of the Friends of the Stevenson Ranch Library Saturday morning.
Books on sale were donated by residents, Friends of the Library members or the library itself.
“We get a lot of good quality donations but we have very limited storage areas in the back, so things got a little full,” said community library manager John Elford, “so the Friends were very open to just having a quick sale.”
Friends of the Library treasurer Vicky Yeretzian, secretary Johanne Gaudioso and vice president Marcia Decker all sat by the multiple tables where the books were sold. Hardcover and trade paperbacks could be purchased at 50 cents, paperback for 10 cents, CDs for 25 cents each and two DVDs were sold for a dollar.
The Friends are not staff members of the library. They are a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization fundraising money to help maintain the library’s collections and programming.
The books are collected and sorted, and those books deemed suitable for the library collection while the rest are given to the Friends for their “bookstore” within the library, said Gaudioso. She added their jobs are to inform the public that they are at the library to promote literacy to the community.
“When you grow up and your parents take you to the library and start introducing you to the world of books, I think it opens the world, it opens your knowledge,” said Yeretzian. “If you don’t know how to read you’ve just limited your whole life. You’ve limited the scope of where your life is going to go.”
Chika Ma, who carried a large stack of books, CDs and DVDs, walked over to the Friends, who gave her paper bags to carry out her purchases. She said she would buy these books to fill up her large bookshelf at home and have it reflect who she is as a person.
“A lot of it I’ve read before, but I just want the actual copy because I like having the actual copy,” Ma said. Her stack included copies of “Moby Dick,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a DVD copy of “Zodiac” and her favorite book “The Outsiders.”
There was concern that due to the recent Fourth of July holiday and the intense heat that turnout might not go over well, Elford said.
“But this morning it was really crowded and we’ve made a little bit of money for the library, it’s been fantastic,” he said.
Although the sale was set to end at 2 p.m., the library will leave it open for the rest of the day so people can stop by and select a book or two.
