A big “thank you” to everyone who helped with this year’s Times Colonist Book Sale, which raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for literacy work on Vancouver Island.
Thanks to everyone who donated books. Thanks to everyone who bought books. Thanks to everyone who volunteered to move books and sort books and direct traffic. Thanks to other media outlets who helped us spread the word.
Thanks also to corporate sponsors. Thanks to everyone who put up with traffic disruptions (minor, this year, by all accounts) so others could take part in the book sale.
At times it might seem that the goal of the book sale is quite straightforward — your chance to empty some shelves, your chance to buy some long-sought gems — but the true reason for the sale is the chance to help the community.
The sale is run by the Times Colonist Literacy Society, a registered charity, not by the newspaper itself. Support from the Times Colonist helps to keep operating costs low, which means more money can be put to work.
The money that we raise is boosted by a grant from the provincial government that is given through Decoda Literacy Solutions.
Proceeds go to school libraries — we often double the book-buying budgets at many Island schools — and literacy organizations, the groups that are helping adults improve their reading skills.
Our work will bring benefits throughout the community for months to come.
The preliminary estimate is that we raised $265,000 at the sale. We will have the final count in a few days because money keeps trickling in.
That $265,000 is close to last year’s number, but it is not the only number that matters.
About 7,900 people came through the doors, down slightly from last year. We can only guess how many books were sold, so let’s just say that more than 100,000 books ended up in new homes. On Vancouver Island, we love to read!
The books were priced at $2 and $4, but in some cases were worth $100 or more. (I know that because happy customers couldn’t resist telling me about their finds.)
On Monday, school librarians had their pick of unsold books.
Non-profit groups were also invited in, taking any books they felt they could use in thrift shops or elsewhere.
Watch your neighbourhood little free libraries, which will probably get new books, by way of our sale, in the days and weeks to come.
The books that are unsold and unclaimed will be boxed up and sold at a bulk rate, to a wholesaler.
If you would like to donate to help local literacy work, go to our website, tcreads.ca. You will find a link to a CanadaHelps donation page.
To donate books, you only have to wait about 49 weeks. We will let you know when volunteers get back to setting up tables for another rush of donations.
Thanks again, to everyone, for everything. This sale is one of the biggest in Canada, and it is made possible by the amazing support of all of you.
Dave Obee is editor and publisher of the Times Colonist.
