Friends of the Library sets book sale for Feb. 24-25

Friends of the Metropolitan Library System will host a book-buying extravaganza Saturday and Sunday, where thousands of patrons come out annually to check out the low prices on hundreds of thousands of donated books.

With the sale’s proceeds, Friends is able to fulfill grants requested by the local Metropolitan Library System. Throughout the years, Friends has given more than $2.9 million dollars in grants to MLS public libraries serving Oklahoma County, for items like trucks, computers, furniture and carpeting.

Year-round, the organization accepts book donations from the public to save for the sale.

“We have all kinds of books, from aardvarks to zebras,” said Shirley Pritchett, publicity chairman.

Friends will host a pre-sale from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday for its members to get the first opportunity to scour the shelves and scoop up the deals. Nonmembers may join the group online in order to attend.

After the sale ends Sunday, Friends allows representatives of nonprofit organizations to take as many books as they want for free.

“This does an awful lot of good, because books are taken and distributed to those who can’t afford them and to third-world countries,” said Pritchett. “A 20-year-old textbook is better than no textbook.”

After that, the organization donates any remaining books to Feed the Children.