By Hillary Smith, The San Gabriel Valley Tribune
The owners of Barnes & Noble would probably have a coronary if customers filled a bag with books, laid $2 on the counter and walked out.
But Covina Public Library at 234 N. Second Ave. let residents to do just that. Their second Fill-A-Bag book sale, which ran Friday and Saturday, benefited the community twofold. Book owners were able to get rid of old books by donating to the library instead of throwing them out and people who can’t pay $20 for a small paperback were able to stock up.
The first sale at the library a few months ago was a great success, according to Library Services Supervisor Jennifer Blair.
“We ended up getting rid of probably 70 percent of the books we’d saved as surplus, which is great,” she said.
People could select up to 10 paperbacks for $2 and up to five hardcover books for $5. The sales give people access to novels of all genres when they can’t afford high-priced books at retail stores.
This accessibility is the reason Patti Couch has volunteered at the library for the past four years.
“The book sale is fantastic,” Couch said. “A lot of people can’t afford to pay that much and it’s a great deal. Most of the books are in really good shape.”
The volunteer noticed another service the sale days provide to residents.
“I think for some people, it’s a social place,” she said. “Maybe they don’t see other people during the day.”
The library in general gives many the chance to interact with, or just see, other people, she said. And for others, it’s just something to do.
“There are some people there every day of the week,” she said. “It’s a way of life. We have some lovely people. It’s great.”
The library doesn’t make much profit from the Fill-A-Bag event, but whatever is made goes back to free programs and services at the center.
“If we’re not able to add the donated books to our library, we’re able to raise funds for the library,” Blair said. “It’s a small fundraiser, but any little bit helps.”
Covina Library receives a mass of books each month.
“I would say we get almost 1,000 every month,” said Lance Farrar, who does general maintenance at the library. “We always have a good turnout when we have sales because they’re priced well. They’re good quality and it saves the library a lot of money.”
Blair said people still have an appreciation for physical books versus e-books or online books, despite the large amount of donated novels each month.
“Talking to a lot of people at the library, there’s a whole bunch of us who still only have the physical books and aren’t into the Kindle,” she said. “It’s something about having the book in your hand.”
Farrar notices the same thing with people he’s met at the library.
“People still like to hold something,” he said. “You have the written word in your hand.”
The library staff member enjoys mystery novels himself, but said the sales have almost everything.
“We have a whole collection of books, from children’s books all the way up to mystery and nonfiction; there’s something for everybody.”
For information on future library events, visit the library’s page on Covinaca.gov.
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