Attendance swelled to a new high on the first day of Northwestern’s annual used book sale as members of the NU community sifted through a collection of over 5,000 books and videos.
The Ver Steeg Faculty Lounge in University Library filled up earlier and with more attendees than in previous years, said Besty Gunia, the event coordinator.
“I’ve never had this many people wait outside an hour before the sale,” said Gunia, the NU library gifts coordinator. “And there’s just way more students here. Usually we don’t have this high of a turnout. This is great that people are here early.”
About 20 percent of the books at the three-day sale are recycled from the library’s collection, and the other 80 percent are from random donors. This year’s selection features more popular fiction including novels by authors like Lee Child, Lilian Jackson Braun and Alexander McCall Smith.
Weinberg freshman Maggie Gorman said she was impressed by the sale’s range of books. Though she said she enjoys all types of literature, she looked for what she called interesting and more obscure old classics.
“There is such a wide variety because it’s a university library,” she said. “They have normal fiction and literature as well as specific topics. And books in Asian languages, you wouldn’t find that just everywhere.”
Gorman came to the event with a friend and said she hopes to walk away with fun summer reading options.
The low prices allowed students like Gorman to stock up on leisurely reading. Others, like graduate student Valerie Jimenez, bought books for exams.
“I don’t think you can find these books at these prices somewhere else,” Jimenez said, who plans to use her purchases to prepare for graduate student assessments.
Until the last day of the sale, hardcover books, high quality paperbacks and more worn paperbacks will be sold for $3, $2 and 50 cents, respectively.
There is also a selection of VHS tapes and laser discs for students like Bienen sophomore Michael Hawes, who spent more than half an hour perusing the opera racks.
Only NU community members can shop on opening day, but the public is invited for Thursday and Friday.
“The last day of the sale is very exciting,” Gunia said, referring to Friday’s “Buck-a-Bag Day.”
On “Buck-a-Bag day, ” shoppers can fill up an entire bag of books for only one dollar or a box for two.
Gunia encouraged students to stop by the sale any day.
“To the best of my knowledge, I think we’re one of the few book sales at a university that has a special day just for the staff, students and alumni,” she said. “So students should take advantage of that.”
