The Camden County Library System hopes Voorhees residents and those in the tri-state area alike will soon be booking it to this year’s upcoming two-day used-book sale at the regional branch library in Voorhees on Friday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Camden County Library System hopes to raise $17,000 and break its own $16,750 record that was set during last year’s spring book sale.
Last year, the $16,750 factored into the more than $40,000 the Camden County Library System raised through all of its used book sales during 2014.
This year’s sale could potentially offer patrons about 50,000 used books, CDs, DVDs, videos, books-on-tape and more, as the library has a warehouse storage room full of items from which the library will continuously replenish its supply if necessary.
William Brahms, branch manager of the Voorhees library and chief organizer of the sale, said he believes the sale has been steadily increasing over the last few years due to the closing of many brick and mortar bookstores.
“You probably noticed that brick and mortar stores have pretty much disappeared. They’re just not around anymore, so people trying to get books are limited to going online and getting them or buying them at a used book sale,” Brahms said.
Of the items offered at the sale, 99 percent will be priced at $2 or less, and, according to Brahms, some items will be as low as 50 cents, and no item will cost more than $3.
Items available will be sorted by subject, and those who attend can have the books they select set aside in boxes until he or she is ready to leave to make the sorting process easier.
Payments at the event will be accepted through cash and check.
According to Camden County Library System public relations officer Mark Amorosi,
only about 10 percent of sale items will have been previously used by the library, with the remaining 90 percent having come through customer, collector and estate donations.
“We’re not just dealing with library materials, so in a way they’re probably in better condition since they came from estates and private collections,” Amorosi said.
All proceeds from the spring book sale will support the programs and services offered by the Camden County Library System, which Brahms said means the event will support a great cause beyond encouraging people to buy books and increase reading.
According to Brahms, library customers have always been very supportive during the sales, so that’s why the hope is to reach $17,000 with the upcoming event.
“We’ve been hovering around that and we’ve seen a steady increase,” Brahms said. “A number of years ago, it could have been as low as $7,000 or $8,000, then $13,000 or $14,000. We haven’t even raised our price in years, it’s just volume.”
The M. Allan Vogelson Regional Branch Library is located at 203 Laurel Road across from the Voorhees Town Center. More information about the sale and the library system can be found on the library’s website at www.camdencountylibrary.org.
