Friends of Ferdinand Library plan May book sale with new finds

Bargain hunters can expect a fresh mix of reading and learning material at the Friends of the Ferdinand Library’s May book sale, where new fiction and nonfiction finds, a box of homeschool materials and puzzle selections will be on the tables. The sale is set for Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ferdinand Library, and shoppers can enter through the main floor or the north side doors off the Ferdinand Community Center parking lot.

The Friends are keeping prices low. Hardbacks will sell for $1, paperbacks for 50 cents, and CDs, DVDs and audiobooks for 50 cents each or three for $1. Children’s books and puzzles will be priced individually. The group will take cash or checks only, so buyers planning to stop by should come prepared. Members of the Friends will get an early shopping window Friday, May 8, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., with special puzzle pricing during that preview period.

The sale is more than a chance to stock a shelf for less. Money raised helps the Friends support the Ferdinand Library’s collections, facilities, services and programs through volunteer and financial support. The group’s brochure says annual membership is $10 for an individual, $20 for a family and $25 for organization, business or supporter memberships. The Friends also offer lifetime membership options, and dues and donations are tax deductible because the group is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Donations remain a key part of that effort, but the Friends and the Jasper-Dubois County Public Library system are clear about what the sale can use. Gently used books, DVDs and puzzles are welcome, but encyclopedias, textbooks, magazines, Readers Digest, VHS and audiotapes are not accepted. The system also does not take worn, torn, discolored, water-damaged, moldy or otherwise unsaleable books and media.

The Ferdinand Branch Library has deep roots in the community. Jasper-Dubois County Public Library says the branch has existed since 1966 and moved in 1968 to a larger space on West 10th Street. It is now on East 16th Street between the Tri-County YMCA and the Ferdinand Community Center, a location that makes the north-side parking lot entrance especially convenient for book-sale traffic. The May 9 sale also fits into a busy day across the library system, with Pokémon Club scheduled at Dubois Library and LEGO Robotics listed at Jasper Library.