Lines of motivated book buyers queued up for the 46th Annual Friends of C.H. Booth Library Book Sale at Reed Intermediate School.

July 8 was a preview event, which ran from 1 to 4 pm, with a $40 admission, and July 9 ran from 10 am to 5 pm with a $5 admission. Reflecting on Saturday, Book Sale Chair Denise Kaiser called the previous day “a slam bang day” for the start of the sale.

Ahead of the start of both days, Kaiser gathered volunteers, but the traditional opening remarks were shared on Saturday, just before the doors opened for the crowd waiting outside.

In place of a “speech,” Kaiser handed out a sheet to all the gathered volunteers. The sheet shared new lyrics she wrote to the tune of the song “Seventy Six Trombones.” Then Kaiser began singing. Soon the Reed’s lobby was filled with the singing voices of roughly 35 volunteers.

“Seventy-six Grishams in the big book sale, with a hundred and ten Pattersons close at hand,” the song began. “Matched by lots and lots of books with twisted plots, and the music of every bad rock band.”

It continued, “Seventy-six flats of sci fi/fantasy. Thriller and romance all by the score. Some blank verse and Frost, they’ll sell at any cost, and the trades, well, we have got galore! There are reference books and cooking books and travel books...”

The rendition of the song continued with listing many other items available in this year’s book sale, until it finished with the line, “It’s the best book sale in all the land!”

The preview event on Friday was generally considered to be for collectors and those with investments in attending the sale. When the doors opened, people nearly ran to the different sections of the sale, set up between the school’s cafetorium, lobby, and main gymnasium.

In contrast, when the doors opened on Saturday, there were more smiles in the group. There was a rush to the footsteps, and there seemed to be more excitement and anticipation behind those hurried feet. Many people held boxes to fill with books and long lists of books to look for at the sale.

The book sale ran through Tuesday, which was a “free” day with all the remaining items available for free.

By Sunday, July 10, Friends of C.H. Booth Library Book Sale Communication Director Nancy Dvorin reported that the line was still long when the doors opened for the third day of the sale. There was no admission fee on Sunday and all the items were half-price.

“This year we started out with just 75% of the inventory we had at the 2021 sale, because of all the books we would have sold at the 2020 sale had the COVID lockdown not prevented it. Even so, by the end of the day [Saturday] we had earned 90% of what we did at the same point last year,” Dvorin shared in an e-mail.

Dvorin also said all of the volunteers were thrilled for Reed to be “mobbed” on Sunday.

Overall, attendance was up from the 2021 sale, according to Dvorin.

“The Friends are confident, and proud, that we’ll start our new fiscal year able to support the library at the same level as we have in the past,” said Dvorin.

Kaiser, as people were finding books at the sale on Saturday, said it was “heartening” to have a great response to the sale this year.

“People still love the library,” said Kaiser.

Education Editor Eliza Hallabeck can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.