Marshall Public Library to host summer book sale this weekend
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Friends of the Marshall Public Library (FOMPL) are hosting their annual summer book sale this Friday and Saturday in the community room at the Marshall Public Library. The seasonal book sales are the main fundraiser for the FOMPL organization, to help keep library programs and services running throughout the year.
It's also the 30th anniversary of the FOMPL organization, meaning there are special extras at this year's book sale. "We have some raffle baskets, if you spend 30 bucks at the sale, you get a chance for the raffle," said Melanie Gygli, Secretary of the FOMPL. "Everything you buy goes back into supporting the library's various programs that are not part of their usual budget."
The Friends have helped the library support projects like the new Pocatello mural near the staircase, tickets to the symphony and the zoo and the 3D printer in the library.
They will have thousands of books at the sale, ranging from adult mystery, thriller and romance, to children's books and large coffee table books. Paperbacks will be $1 and hardbacks are $2.
"The majority of what we get is mystery and fiction in adults, but we get sociology, history, biography, science and nature, language, travel," Gygli said. "We get some great kids books and young adult too."
All the books in the sale come from donations in the community or are discards from The Marshall Public Library. Gygli said people move often and leave the Friends with their book collections or have simply read them and want to donate to the book sale.
This year, the FOMPL are also offering a bag of 20 books for three dollars. They will be categorized by genre.
"It really is an affordable way to buy a book, and some of them are almost new," Gygli explained. "You can give them as gifts, even though it's early for Christmas gifts, this is an affordable way to do that."
For those who can't make it out to the book sale this weekend, the FOMPL has their storefront open daily at the library. Throughout July, the store is themed AMERICA250 and next month it will switch to a summer reading theme.
"The sale is a really great way to pick up a book for yourself, but I think more important it's a way to support your community," Gygli said. "Support your library and the programs that they offer back to the community, to adults and children."
The book sale will be open Friday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Winners of the raffle will be chosen the following Monday and contacted to pick up their baskets at the library circulation desk.
