Wake County Public Libraries Celebrate Record-Breaking Booksale

12/14/2006

Wake County Public Libraries’ November booksale set new records. Held in the former Super Kmart on New Bern Avenue, the sale was Wake County’s largest ever, offering more than 500,000 books to the public in an expanded facility with extended hours and improved parking. When the dust cleared, fewer than 6,900 books remained.

Books in the sale included both donations to the library and items that had been removed from library shelves due to decreased demand.

The booksale began November 14 with a "free" day for Wake County Schools and agencies supported by Wake County property taxes. These agencies, according to N.C. General Statutes, have first choice of surplused materials before items are put out for public sale. The schools took 1,580 boxes of books, and other County agencies took 509 boxes. Using Saturday sale prices, the estimated savings for this "recycling" of materials was $183,450.

The public portion of the sale ran from November 15-19. The gross revenue from the sale was $170,198.02. The proceeds count as library revenue to the Wake County General Fund and help with determining the library system’s book budget for the upcoming year.

Only two tables, or less than 1.3% of the total, remained after the sale. These items were collected by a vendor and shredded for recycled/scrap paper. Nothing was added to the landfill, and the next sale will offer new items.

More than 400 volunteers assisted with the sale and invested better than 3,400 hours in producing the event. Wake County’s General Services Administration offered critical help in negotiating the lease of the space, bringing it up to fire code and maintaining it while in use.

Volunteers have now switched from "sale" mode to "collecting and sorting" mode as they begin the process of sorting and storing books for the next sale. Donations may be made to any Wake County Public Library during operating hours throughout the year, and a letter for tax purposes is available at every library location.

For more information about library booksales, e-mail Dale Cousins at gcousins@co.wake.nc.us.

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