Thousands of books, CDs and audiobooks will fill two warehouses for the Friends of the Fort Worth Public Library Biannual Book Sale that began last weekend.

Bunny Gardner, president of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Fort Worth Public Library and manager of the Friends Book Store, said The Friends is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide the Fort Worth Public Library with advocacy, donations, and financial support.

One of the best ways they do this, Gardner said, is through the Biannual Book Sale scheduled during the last two weekends of October.

“The book sale is probably the most visible public thing we do,” Gardner said. “It will bring in people that maybe aren’t regular shoppers here, but they are all very eager to come to the book sale, because our prices are incredibly reasonable.” 

Gardner said shoppers can find paperback books for merely $0.50, hardback books for $1.50 or fill an entire box full of whatever items they choose for only $15. All of the merchandise, Gardner said, is donated from private donors or the public library.

“The library comes and brings all of the boxes of books, and we go through them,” Gardner said. “We have a very nice crew of volunteers that make this happen.” 

One of those volunteers is Carol Taylor, who has worked at the Friends Book Store for almost three years. She said she is excited to work at the book sale again.

“I love to see people read and walk out of here with stacks and stacks of books,” Taylor said. “You can find just about anything here. It’s a treasure hunt.”

And these books truly are a treasure for some, such as book donor Joanne Paré who donated more than 900 books in honor of her son, Kenneth.

“He had stage four cancer with an unknown primary,” Paré said, “and he passed away June 10.”

Paré said her son was an avid reader of science fiction and history novels and had shelves full of books.

“We decided to donate them to a place we thought would appreciate them,” Paré said, “and he will live on in these books and through the people who get to enjoy them.”

While the book sale last weekend was only open to members of The Friends, a second sale October 25-27 will be open to the public.

“We hope people will shop with us,” Gardner said, “donate books with us, and support the library through those endeavors.