Booksale 2020 is right around the corner! And we are so excited to celebrate the 40th year of this unique shopping and volunteering experience. Posters, bookmarks and an information sheet (as detailed below, and attached) will be sent to library locations and key departments on January 10th. As the Friends' annual Booksale event has become such a popular regional event, we wanted to share the following information with all staff so that you are in the know and are empowered to answer any questions you receive. You can help by encouraging volunteerism and attendance at the event. Thank you for doing your part to help encourage support for Booksale!

THE BASICS

The Friends of the Metropolitan Library System Booksale to be held Saturday, February 22 and Sunday, February 23 from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in the Oklahoma Expo Building.  The Booksale will go on regardless of the weather.  It will not close unless the Fairgrounds does!

Please encourage any non-profits, schools, or teachers to shop Sunday, February 23 at 6 pm to have any books they want for FREE!  If they’d like a reminder and more information please forward their name and email address to [email protected] [1]  (Booksale Volunteers can shop for FREE that night too!)

MEMBERSHIP

Members of the Friends of the Library can pre-shop extended hours from 1 pm to 9 pm on Friday, February 21!

Memberships can be purchased online at www.supportmls.org/fol/membership [2] until noon on Thursday, February 20.  Memberships purchased before February 3, 2020, will be mailed a postcard with the tickets for entry printed on the front. 

Members who join between February 3 and February 20 must visit the will-call table at the Fairgrounds open Friday from 11 am to 9 pm to pick up their tickets. Memberships can be purchased and tickets picked up on Friday from 11 am to 9 pm.  Membership cost is $15 at the door.

If membership was purchased and tickets were not received they will be at the will-call table.  NO TICKETS WILL BE MAILED AFTER FEBRUARY 7!

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers can continue to sign up online at www.supportmls.org/fol/volunteer [3].  Volunteer limited shopping is Thursday, February 20   from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and is open to ALL Booksale volunteers.  ANY 2020 Booksale volunteer, non-profit organization representatives, teacher or school can shop for FREE on Sunday evening February 23 at 6 pm.  

Should MLS Staff choose to volunteer, their service is independent of their work schedule and unpaid.

WHAT'S THE SALE LIKE?

Well. It's big. We mean BIG! There are approximately 800,000 books at the sale that are donated by the community and withdrawn from the library. There are over 40 categories of books as well as rare and first editions, and two areas for purchase:

General Area – hardbacks are $1 and paperbacks are $.50; audiobooks and media are also available
Better Books Room – books are individually priced but usually under $5; rare and collectible items are also available

The Friends of the Metropolitan Library System generously give proceeds from the Booksale back to MLS for services and programs. Some examples of projects sponsored by the Friends over the last year include scholarships, support for Summer Reading and funding for robotics programming.

For further questions or more info, visit www.supportmls.org/fol [4], call 405-606-3763 or email [email protected] [5]!