More than 7,000 book-loving bargain hunters turned out for the 19th annual Times Colonist Book Sale this weekend, taking their pick of hundreds of thousands of quality volumes.
“That’s better than the norm,” said volunteer coordinator Bob Taylor, noting that included people who came back twice because they couldn’t cope with the scope of choice on day one.
The weather was warm and sunny but the inside of the sale site at the Victoria Curling Club had its own allures: high quality books for no more than $3.
Books were donated over two days in mid-April; proceeds from the sale go to literacy programs, including school libraries.
There were lots of young adults this year, including plenty of mothers with babies snuggled close, Taylor said.
Chris Hoffman, 25, from Kamloops, was surprised to see how many people were willing to line up to buy books and Steven Myhill-Jones, 40, of Oak Bay said his sons, Ben and Charlie, aged 7 and 5, were the deciding factor. “They’re bringing me,” he said. “Every year, they come and see books that interest them.”
“I think everybody thoroughly enjoyed the book sale,” said Taylor, giving credit to 300 volunteers, some of whom have come back repeatedly in the more than 15 years he’s been aligned with the sale. “They know what they’re doing.”
The book sale is a boon not just to individuals but to small business people. On his hands and knees was Ron Coleman, rummaging through boxes under the tables. He was seeking selections for his personal interest in trade unions along with intriguing options for his Courtenay home business, Rainy Day Books — rare, used and out of print. Between the two, he expected to buy about 200 volumes. “We come down every year.” It’s the biggest book sale he knows of, he said.
A word to the wise from Coleman: Please don’t file books on unions with, as he puts it, “the isms” such as anarchism and terrorism. “It makes them look bad.”
On Monday, teachers and non-profit organizations are invited to take all the books they want at no charge, and Taylor assured them there is still a tremendous selection. Last year, the sale raised $157,000, part of more than $2 million raised over the past 18 years to support literacy programs.
