The Friends of the Michigan Tech Library plan to hold their annual book fair on Tuesday and Wednesday, Mar. 25 and 26, in the second-floor MUB Ballroom. The fair will be open as a presale to students and those holding Friends of the Michigan Tech Library memberships only on Tuesday, which will run from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The full sale will be open to the public on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The sale’s last hour on Wednesday will be a grab bag sale, where all books that you can fit into a brown paper bag will be sold in bulk for a total of $5.
The annual book sale is an excellent opportunity to purchase a diverse collection of used books, spanning all genres including fiction, nonfiction, textbooks, and more. “Over 1000 books are donated each month,” remarks Steve Walton, donations manager for the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library. The sale is not pre-picked, making it an excellent opportunity to find fascinating editions and gems in the collection. These books will be available for a modest price too: $2 for hardcover editions, $1 for all paperbacks, and children’s books at only $0.50.
The sale itself is staffed entirely by volunteers and members of the organization, as all sales are donated directly to support the Van Pelt and Opie Library. Walton comments, “If our
organization had a Charity Navigator Score, it would be 100 percent!” The proceeds fund several initiatives and improvements for the MTU Library. “Archives intern salaries,
scholarships, leisure reading collections, equipment and book scanners,” Walton lists, “all
volunteer proceeds go back.” Even the student organization shelf near the library’s entrance is
supplemented with Book Fair funds.
For those interested in the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library annual fair, there are many ways to get involved. Memberships to access the presale day (Tuesday, Mar. 25) are $25, and are a great way to gain early access to the services and events put on by the organization. Volunteers for cashiers, setup, and teardown are all welcome and can contact the Friends of the Michigan Tech Library through GivePulse. Everyone else should be sure to stop by, as the Friends’ motto notes, “For the love of books!”
