Buy a bag of books for $1 from Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Library’s annual book sale continues today in front of the LRC at Saddleback College.  Books that normally sell for $2 each are available for a deal – $1 per bag. (Daniela Sanchez/Lariat)

Saddleback’s Friends of the Library’s annual book sale outside the Learning Resources Center entrance began yesterday and runs through this afternoon. Customers can get an entire bag of books for only $1 as well as DVDs for a quarter.

Friends of the Library, a nonprofit organization, also has a small volunteer-run bookstore on the second floor of the LRC. When the bookstore runs out of space to display the books, the extra stock then goes towards the sale.

The store’s system uses the concept of self-checkout, a system based on trust. Buyers can come anytime and browse the options. All the books cost $2. The variety of books includes both fiction and nonfiction including old textbooks to popular young adults series, such as the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series. 

Volunteer Vicki Good assisted with the book sale on Tuesday.

“It’s a self-serve used bookstore with a cash box on the wall,” Good said.

The money raised goes towards student scholarships and other campus events. Last spring the group gave $5,000.

Alicia Zach, a Distance Learning Librarian at Saddleback, serves as the liaison between the group and the library.

“All of the books that we put out are in good condition and they’re usually popular books that people are wanting,” Zach said. “We don’t put things out that people don’t necessarily want.”

Ana Maria Cobos, Friends of the Library volunteer and former Saddleback College librarian for 25 years, stood outside of the main entrance to the LRC under a canopy, selling books to people walking through.

Cobos began supporting the program during her time as a librarian. She retired this May after 25 years but she remains loyal to the club. She found it a challenge to get people to help her out with this book sale.

“We are having a problem on getting volunteers to help with this activity,” Cobos said. “It’s hard to find people that are willing to make a commitment in terms of time.”

The club itself has been active for 35 years. According to Cobos, this group was much more active in the ‘80s when it first began. However the people who were in positions such as president, secretary, and membership chair have moved on, and the club has not been able to replace those people.

Cobos attempted to get volunteers from the Emeritus Institute program at Saddleback but said it may be difficult to convince older people to make a commitment to this event.

The current volunteers said they would like younger people like Saddleback students to volunteer for them.

Students can receive volunteer credit, which meets requirements for college applications. One can also donate a book and get credit for that too.

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