News Photo by Darby Hinkley The Friends of the Alpena County Library used book sale starts from 6 to 8 p.m. for members only, then continues Thursday through Saturday for the general public. Pictured, from left, are Friends of the Library Board Member Sharon Engstrom and Friends Vice President Carol O’Connor, and Friends of the Library volunteer and former board member Debbie Ludwiczak.

ALPENA — Book lovers, rejoice!

The Friends of the Alpena County Library’s used book sale starts from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight, and continues through Saturday.

Tonight is the Friends of the Library members-only event, but anyone can sign up for $10 to get first dibs on thousands (that’s right, thousands) of used books. The sale will be held in the upstairs large conference room at the library, 211 N. 1st Ave., Alpena.

Friends of the Library Vice President Carol O’Connor said the books are organized the same way as in previous years, and pricing is as follows: Adult and teen hardcovers — $2; Paperbacks — $1; Children’s books — 50 cents; Puzzles and games — $1; Books on CD — $2; DVDs and CDs — $1; and Vinyl records — $3.

On Thursday, the sale is from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Friday, it will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Then, Saturday is $5 bag of books day, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

While the spacious conference room is filled with donated books, so is the overflow storage room in the upstairs of the library. It’s stacked to the ceiling with boxes full of books.

The Friends of the Library are pleased with the generosity of the public, and they hope many community members come out to support the library and its programs. All proceeds go back into providing services to the community.

Sorting through the books is overwhelming, but many hands make light work, with dedicated volunteers and board members hustling to get everything up and ready for the sale.

“We haven’t had this for about three years,” said O’Connor. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said as she motioned to the plethora of books set up on tables.

She said it’s likely that donations have been piling up over the course of the last several years, as people have been home during the pandemic.

She added that people in past years have been waiting outside, lined up at the door prior to the sale starting.

“It’s a big undertaking,” O’Connor added. “This is our biggest fundraiser to support programs for the library.”

If you have any questions pertaining to the book sale, email alpenafol@yahoo.com. Call the library at 989-356-6188.

Contact Lifestyles Editor Darby Hinkley at 989-358-5691 or dhinkley@thealpenanews.com.