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Library looks to unload 'gently-used' books
By Bill Conrad, bconrad@starlocalnews.com
Bargain hunters from throughout the city will descend on the Plano Centre beginning tonight for the Plano Public Library's annual book sale.
Now in its 29th year, the event will feature more than 100,000 books, DVDs and CDs, all priced at $2 or less. The sale runs through Saturday and serves as the major fundraiser for the Friends of the Plano Public Library, a nonprofit devoted to improving the city's five libraries.
"Last year in December we presented a check for $100,000 to the Plano City Council," said Scott Johnson, president of the Friends of the Plano Public Library. "Over the last four years we have presented checks totaling $485,000. We also donate several thousand hours of volunteer time to the libraries each year to save them money and help them out."
"We have people who have been coming for a long time and they want the best selection possible," Korns said. "They are going to be willing to come on Thursday night."
The tradeoff for getting a first look at the sale on Thursday night is a $5 entry fee per person, or $10 per family. Members of the Friends of the Plano Public Library get into the sale for free on Thursday. Additionally, there is no entry fee to attend the sale on Friday or Saturday.
The funds raised via the sale help pay for a variety of programs, including monthly family fun programs and various summer children's programs, Korns said, adding that many programs would not be possible without the yearly donation.
Funding from the group also allowed the libraries to offer e-books, a service that began in April. The e-books, which can be checked out for three weeks at a time, can be downloaded via the Internet and allow people to utilize their public library system from anywhere in the world. At the end of three weeks, the book is automatically "returned" to the library, so there is no need to worry about due dates or late fees, Korns said.
Johnson said having a first-class library system is not only about education, it also says something about the city as a whole.
"I used to travel a lot for business and when I would visit a community, the library of that community often told me a lot about that community," he said. "If it was a nice, maintained building with lots of patrons inside, that told me the city invested in their community and their library. The opposite was also true. If I don't see a well-maintained library that tells me the community has some issues."
The Plano Centre is located at 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway. The sale's hours are Thursday from 6-10 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
For information about the book sale or the Friends of the Plano Public Library, visit www.friendsofplanolibrary.org or call 972-769-4211.
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