Doors opened for the Friends of the C. H. Booth Library’s 40th Anniversary Annual Book Sale on Saturday, July 11, as volunteers welcomed event goers.

The book sale is running through Wednesday, July 15. It is running from 9 am until 7 pm on Tuesday, July 14, and will run from 9 am to noon on Wednesday for the final hours of the sale, held at Reed Intermediate School.

Customers lined up outside the school on Saturday, long before the doors opened at 9 am. Admission for the book sale was $5 on Saturday only, with free admission the remaining days of the sale.

Inside the school, Friends of the C. H. Booth Library Chairperson Denise Kaiser addressed the other volunteers at the event.

“This is the 40th anniversary of the book sale,” Ms Kaiser reminded those assembled in front of her. “The bestsellers of the 1975 book sale were Silence of the Lambs, Ragtime, and Salem’s Lot. None of those books are on sale today! That’s what distinguishes 1975 from 2015.”

When the doors opened, people who had been waiting outside rushed in. Customers sported bags, backpacks, and all sorts of things to carry their books.

Friends of the Library volunteers, dressed in green shirts, assisted customers with questions, directions, and payment.

The entire gymnasium and cafetorium of Reed Intermediate School were lined with tables of books. Each section was carefully labeled. Mysteries, classic fiction, romance, science fiction, and many more categories were housed in the gymnasium. Sports, self-help, craft books, and more could be found in the cafetorium. The cafetorium also had a large collection of board games, DVDs, and CDs, which attracted children and adults alike.

A separate classroom was set aside from the main collection, known as the Rare and Collectible Room. The books in this room were distinguished from the rest of their collection mainly by price. Careful shoppers could find the likes of authors such as Sylvia Plath or J.M. Barrie selling for hundreds of dollars.

Customers ranged from avid book lovers to students searching for textbooks to families shopping together. The book sale attracted customers from all over Newtown and the surrounding areas.

On Saturday outside the school, Boy Scout Troop 70 had a tent set up, selling burgers and hot dogs to the passersby. Scouts Ryan Chieffo and Hunter Kirkman carried a large sign advertising the troop’s fundraiser. According to Ryan and Hunter, the troop was raising money to go on more trips and to buy more camping equipment.

Tuesday, July 14, is $5 a bag day, hours are 9 am to 7 pm. On Wednesday, July 15, all items left are free, and the sale is open from 9 am to noon. The sale takes place in the lobby, cafetorium, gymnasium, and adjacent rooms at Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades Lane, Newtown.

Proceeds of the sale support library programming throughout the year.