Book sale funds Corrales Library

CORRALES — The temperature was about 80 degrees, there was plenty of shade, music and books ... lots and lots of books. That was the scene at the Fall Corrales Book Sale Oct. 12 at La Entrada Park.

Kristi Gilbert, a member of the Friends of Corrales Library Board of Directors, says the book sale is about more than getting people to buy books.

“First and foremost, it’s really a community builder,” she said.

Books were priced at no more than a couple of dollars, depending on if it was paperback or hardback.

“It’s a fundraiser for the library, so all of these books that we sell two times a year are donated by our wonderful community. It’s crazy how they come out and are generous year after year,” Gilbert said.

All of the programs that the library puts on are paid for by the funds generated by the sales.

“Just from the book sales, we do about $20,000 a year,” she said.

One challenge Gilbert is noticing as the years go by is getting people interested in reading or getting them to buy physical copies. However, they have been able to maintain a steady flow of book donations and buyers despite the changing times.

“It’s not just old people. We see more and more young people really interested in hard-copy books, and one of our best-selling genres with young people — by young, I mean in their 20s — obviously children’s books were for the kids, but people in their teens and 20s are looking at the classics. Like these old, interesting looking hardcover books. They say that they’re not just getting them for art pieces for their shelves; they read them, and they actually like the history of the old book rather than going and getting a paperback Penguin Classic or something from Barnes & Noble,” she added.

Gilbert said that older people will see a run-down book and tend to go to Amazon instead but that younger people enjoy the authenticity of a hard-copy book.

“It’s almost like an artifact for them,” she said.

That feeling is starting to transfer to all people, according to Gilbert. She says the book sale gets bigger every year and has gone on for a few decades at least. She has been a part of it for 10 years.

Every book sale involves a lot of preparation, though. It involves getting all book donations together, going through each publication to determine genre and setting them up on tables. Genres ranged from classical literature like Charles Dickens to history books to kids books.

Gilbert says the library could always use support from the community, whether that be a short visit to check out some books or volunteering time to help with the events they put on.

For more information, visit corrales-nm.org/library.