Saturday, May 11, 2024
The Friends of the Library for Hood County is offering a half-price book sale at the Hood County Library, 222 N. Travis St., from now through Wednesday, Dec. 20.
According to its website, the Friends of the Library for Hood County was originally formed in the mid-1960s to serve as an advocacy group to promote passage of a local referendum establishing the first public library in the Hood County area in 1968.
Since that date, the organization has continued to advocate and cultivate public and private support for the Hood County Library and to promote volunteerism in the community.
“A lot of people don't know we exist,” explained Ann Jalbert, president of the Friends of the Library for Hood County Board of Directors. “We've tried advertising, but we have a loyal customer base here. We're located adjacent to the library, so you enter from North Travis Street, and we do have a sign out in front. All our books in the bookstore are donated, and all the money we raise helps sponsor children's programs and anything (the library) needs that we can help them with."
In the last four years, the organization has provided more than $75,000 in funding to support children’s programming, building maintenance, remodeling and improvement, and special title acquisitions, as well as $93,000 toward the new Library Expansion Project in support of the Hood County Library and the services it provides.
"The building we're in was the original library before they built on,” Jalbert said. “We've had Friends groups from different cities in Texas actually come here and look at our store to see what we're doing, and they're just amazed at how big a space we have, because a lot of them just have like two bookshelves in their library that they sell books on, but we have a whole organized store, and we can accept a lot of donations.”
The Friends of the Library engage in a number of activities in support of the Hood County Library, according to the website. These activities include sponsorship of displays, speakers, book reviews, children’s programs, film programs, book drives, and book fairs.
To assist with funding for the library, the store also offers a $1 book sale every year and half-price book sales twice a year: one in July and one in December.
Jalbert said that the store has approximately 1,000 books in a variety of genres like: children’s books, juvenile, young adult, fiction, biography, military, history, quilting, westerns, cookbooks, science fiction, religion, and large print.
“All our paperbacks are five for $1, and most of our hardback books are $2,” she said. “There are some newer books that are $6, but most of them are $2.”
Jalbert said during the half-price book sale, the hardbacks are $1, kids’ books are 50 cents, and the paperbacks are 10 for $1.
“We have a wide variety of books, so I think we have something anyone would want,” she added.
Members of the Friends of the Library for Hood County can also get 25 percent off their total purchase every month by paying the $10 membership fee every year.
The Friends of the Library for Hood County Book Store is open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Anyone who is interested in donating their books can visit the library during operation hours or use the two gray bins outside the library doors if the store is not open.
For more information, visit folhoodcounty.com online or follow the Facebook Page at Friends of the Library for Hood County.
