This weekend is the annual fall book sale at the Wood County District Public Library. Books, CD’s, DVD’s, VHS tapes, and more are being sold there.

    The book sale is put on by the Friends of the Wood County Library. They are looking to raise money so that the library may buy new books for students and community members to check out along with funding additional programs that the library puts on. Those programs include several book groups, a ukulele club, technology help, summer reading programs and author visits. They also provide every newborn baby in Wood County with a free book. This program is called Books for Baby.

    All paperback books are 25 cents while larger books cost 50 cents. All children’s books are also 50 cents. Book bags are $10 and shoppers can buy an additional book bag for $10 which comes with the added benefit of filling the second bag  with as many books as possible for no additional charge.

    The library does not offer most textbooks, according to Mary Boone, the press relations coordinator for the library, but she said, “If you are doing research, we are a good place for research materials, both in print and online.”

    The books are much cheaper than retail price, and Boone said that they offer many books by famous authors during the sale. She mentioned Dan Brown novels and the newest go for as much as $17.95 on Amazon, while older books by him go for around $8.

    It is located in the first floor meeting room of the library and will be going on during the normal library hours.

    It is also going on during the Black Swamp Arts Festival. The book sale has been going on for about as long as the Arts Festival, which has been going on for 25 years.

Boone said, “It is a tradition (to have the fall book sale and the Arts Festival at the same time), and we provide a nice respite to shop for books away from the festival.”

    Boone said, “I think we are the best kept secret downtown.” She does not want new students to be unaware about the public library and hopes that students take advantage of the programs that are offered there as well as the space to get away from campus.

    Special members can preview the sale on Thursday from 5-8, but it does not officially start until Friday.