Wanting to secure his spot at the front of the line, Kitchener’s John Bradshaw showed up at the 16th annual Big Book Sale about four hours before opening on Thursday.
He brought a lawn chair and some water for the wait to get into the annual Friends of Guelph Public Library fundraiser, which features about 80,000 used titles up for grabs in support of library programs.
“I'm a book fanatic, and I've been to this sale before, so I've just doing what I love to do,” said Bradshaw, noting a handful of others showed up soon after he arrived, but the line didn’t start getting long until about an hour before opening.
At that point, the line stretched down much of the shaded side of BAMCO Group building at 440 Elmira Rd. N. where the sale continues through the weekend. Soon after, as opening approached, the lineup turned the corner and continued down much of the back of the building.
Several people in line brought material to read as they waited, but not Bradshaw.
“I’m just taking in the beautiful day,” he said, motioning toward the largely blue sky and sunshine.
Thursday’s sale opening, which cost $10 per person for admission, runs from 2 to 8 p.m.
There is no cost to attend the sale throughout the rest of the event, which runs during the same time on Friday, as well as 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to books, the sale features games, puzzles, DVDs and sheet music from an array of genres and topics. They fill much of the BAMCO space, laid out on tables organized by genre.
Books range in cost from $1 to $4, while children’s titles and special items are individually priced.
Children who visit the sale will receive a free book.
All funds raised go toward the cost of educational initiatives, community events and technology available at the library. Previous sales have raised more than $1 million.
For more information, visit the Friends of Guelph Public Library website here.
