Annual Library Book Sale To Include Many Collections

By Jan Howard

Science fiction readers will have their pick of many more books and a wider array of authors at the Booth Library’s 26th annual Labor Day Book Sale than usual this year. About 2,000 additional science fiction books have been added through donations of entire collections.

“We have had a donation of entire collections from different people,” said H.D. Bassett, a 31-year resident of Newtown who has donated his time and talents to the book sale in what he termed “bits and pieces” for about eight years.

Mr Bassett will be available during the sale to help book purchasers with information about authors or their type of writing. “I’ve always been a science fiction reader. I always enjoyed it so I gravitated to this section.

“I tend to look for books by certain authors, but I will sample a new author,” he added. “If I find authors I like, I will look for more by them.” Mr Bassett said he especially likes books by Orson Scott Card and Neil Stevenson.

Mr Bassett said there are about 2,500 paperbacks and an unknown number of hardcover books available in the science fiction category this year. The books are alphabetized according to author so it is easy to find books by the same author.

“We have large numbers from out-of-circulation authors, such as Kenneth Robeson’s Doc Savage series,” he said. “A lot of older authors are turning up in the collection, such as E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith.”

These include about two dozen Dragon Lance series and books by authors John Norman, Murray Leinster, Fritz Leiber, Keith Laumer, Abram Davidson, Thomas N. Disch, and others.

There are also a small number of books from authors not usually found in science fiction, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Herman Wouk, pointed out Mr Bassett.

“There are also a number of authors I never heard of,” he said. “I found that interesting, too.”

There are about 200 books of the Star Trek series available for purchase as well as about 50 in the Star Wars series.

There are also books by Assinov, Margaret Weis, Carry Niven, Anne McCaffery, Ursula LeGuin, Mercedes Lachey, and Philip Jose Farmer.

Science fiction is always a popular genre, said Mr bassett, particularly with younger readers. “By the end of the sale, it’s pretty well cleaned out. There’s not much left when we close the doors.”

He noted that book dealers always check out the selection. “They look for rarer books that may have been asked for by collectors.”

The annual sale, one of New England’s largest, offers a record number of over 160,000 books in over 70 categories and other items.

The sale will be held, rain or shine, at Bridgeport Hall on the former Fairfield Hills State Hospital campus, September 1 through September 5. The tables have been set up, and books or boxes of books, sorted and categorized at the library, already cover most of them. Library volunteers work steadily every day, organizing the books on the tables by category.

In addition to the large selection of science fiction books, the sale will offer a large number of almost new books, over 17,000 paperbacks, a large selection of cookbooks, instructional books and travel guides, as well as over 12,000 children’s books. Non-fiction categories include art, biography, gardening, crafts, chess, and history. Fiction books are categorized as novels, mysteries, thrillers, occult, short stories, and romance.

Computer software, LP records, games and puzzles are also offered.

The rare books room will offer several hundred books, such as The American Woman’s Home, a guide to “principles of domestic science” published in 1869 by Catherine Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Pompeian (The Topography, Edifices, and Ornaments of Pompei), featuring engraved plates, was written by English archaeologist Sir William Gell and published in 1852 in a half leather and marbleized cover.

Book sale hours are Saturday, September 1, 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday, September 2, 10 am to 5 pm; Monday, September 3, 9 am to 4:30 pm; Tuesday, September 4, 2 to 6 pm; and Wednesday, September 5, 10 am to 4 pm.

Admissions of $10 (9 am to noon) and $5 (noon to 5 pm) are charged on Saturday only. Tickets go on sale at 7 am.

On Saturday and Sunday, books are sold at the marked price. On Monday, books are half the marked price from 9 am to 2 pm. From 2:30 to 4:30 pm on Monday and again on Tuesday, books are $8 per bag. Leftover books are free on Wednesday, with donations accepted.

All proceeds benefit Booth Library.

For more information, call the Cyrenius H. Booth Library at 426-4533 or visit the library Web site at www.biblio.org/chbooth.htm.

Mr Bassett urged book sale attendees to arrive early, particularly if books by specific authors are sought.

“We have a wider variety of authors and larger selection than I’ve ever seen at a book sale,” he said, noting, with a smile, “I have never worked so hard.”