October 11th, 2021

Library Sale!  Oh wait, I should be clear. They weren't selling libraries, they were selling books at the library.  At any rate, what you see in this bag is an entire sack of happiness ;)

I just happened across the article in the local newspaper.  I do read the paper every day, but it's not as if I read every word on every page. Like the sports section and the classifieds, for example. I'm not into sports and I'm not planning on buying anything being sold via the news.   But other than that, yeah, I at least skim most of the pages. Admittedly, I pay more attention to some sections than others.

Like the A pages.  I always do  read that front page, including the continued on parts, editorials, and naturally the comics.  Everything else gets at least a cursory glance.  But I almost never pay any attention to the ads.  I don't know why that is true, but, in fact, it is.  We all make choices. Apparently that is one of mine.  But it's why I'm surprised that I noticed the article at all.

The article was in the A section above a good sized ad for a local restaurant and beside a story about the improvements to our local dog park.  (There is a really nice beach front dog park here on the island. Doggies even get their own beach area to frolic.  But as we have no dog, it's not really required reading on my part).  So it would have been understandable if I had missed it.  But somehow I didn't.  Yay!

Our local library  - as do many libraries nowadays - has a little used book store.  I walk by it every single time I go to the library but I had never been in it.  Why on earth would I buy a book if I can borrow one for free?    But according to the newspaper, last Thursday, Friday and Saturday for a measly five bucks, I could buy an entire sack of books! Ok now that makes good sense!  I'm in!

It was a pretty day so I walked over (dumb idea), with my money in my pocket and hope in my heart.   The event began at 10:00, I arrived at 10:06 and there was a line that was soooo long...Oh My Goodness!  Clearly I live in a book reading kind of place!   No worries, I was prepared to wait.  Eventually some frantic looking ladies with lanyards indicating that they were in some way affiliated with the library, came by and asked every person how many bags they wanted.  How many bags?  Wow!  I foolishly assumed that there was a finite number of books they needed to cull out of their inventory so we would be limited to one bag each.  Nope.  People were asking for 2, 3, 4 (or more) bags!  Holy Cats!

Me and my one little bag slowly made our way to the front of the line so that I could peek inside.  I was trying to get the lay of the land, so to speak.  I had no idea how it all worked and I like to kind of size things up in an unfamiliar situation before jumping in.  I saw racks and shelves and more racks and shelves and tables and tables pulled into the library lobby and that seemed like a good place to start.  Except that mostly what I saw was people. Lots and Lots and LOTS of people!

Most of the people were folks like me, excited to get a new batch (or 2 or 3) of reading material.  Luckily there were also library workers constantly attempting to replenish those shelves and racks and tables.  I say attempting because there were attendees literally clearing shelves.  Literally.  They weren't randomly selecting one book and giving the summary a quick read to see if it's something they might enjoy.  Nope. They were doing one armed sweeps from the shelves into their bags. Holy Cats!~  I wasn't comfortable competing with that level of "shopping" so I moved on to the used book store itself.

There was, of course, another line.  Because it is a small store, that day made to feel even smaller by the sheer volume of people in it, they were only allowing so many people in at a time which makes perfect sense.  They had a large, quiet man standing in the front giving the go-ahead to people one or two at a time.  He was very good at his job.  He never had to raise his voice but he stood firm with quiet authority every time someone tried to skip the line altogether or even cut into the line.  He was awesome.

While I waited, I couldn't help but hear conversation around me. Sometimes it was just book talk about favourite genres or authors. I learned that a much larger percentage of people there than I certainly ever anticipated  were there specifically to get books for their developments clubhouses. Other times it was about plans of attack, as if this was an important battle that future generations would have to learn about in history class.  Ok, it may not have been a battle, but it was absolutely a skirmish.

And it's going to be excruciatingly obvious as you read this next part, that I have never ever gone Black Friday shopping or participated in one of the massive high end store sales (although I've heard stories and it sounds like what I experienced here).

It was a mass of humanity.  People were absolutely crammed into the narrow aisles and it was the most peculiar experience to have zero respect given to my personal space.  I was pushed, shoved and bumped over and over.  As I squeezed myself into my first aisle people reached over my head and right next to my face.  Arms thrusting past my face, my arms and even my legs as they grabbed books all around me.  It was an entirely new experience to reach for a book only to have it snatched away before I got a good grip on it.  It was wild!  If you ever mentally pictured library going, book loving people as quiet, polite well behaved ladies and gentlemen wearing glasses, with sensible shoes, sipping tea as they read, you are entirely wrong.  This was not this group.  It was not so much a book sale as a feeding frenzy of book sharks.

I tried to make myself as small as possible and, as one of the shorter people there, I concentrated primarily on the lower shelves which weren't quite as popular with those taller folks.  I spent much less time than I normally would making my selections but I did choose them one at a time, after skimming the summary.   I had no idea how many books were in my bag but it was getting pretty full.  I gave it a quick check.  I definitely could squeeze a couple more paperbacks in there but, I was starting to feel more than a little claustrophobic by then and decided that whatever was in my bag was sufficient. I had gotten my money's worth.

I fought my way back out of the stacks and headed toward the exit.  The doorway was in my sight and I was slowly moving toward it with the crowd, when I noticed a table of oversized art books.  I don't actually know the correct name for them, but I have always referred to them as coffee table books and everyone knows what I mean when I say it, so let's call it that.  Without intending to, I found myself stepping out of the exit line toward the table of big beautiful books.


Immediately in front of me was a book on Impressionist Art.  One of my favourites!  As I thumbed through the book the noise, the crowds, the pushy/shovey disappeared and it was just me and those beautiful examples of one of my favourite genres of art.  My heart filled.  Yes!  This is my book!  Then I saw another similar book, this one on Renaissance Art.  I need that one too.  And then a third book on famous photographs, Dang I needed  that one too!  I lifted the first book only to be reminded of how very heavy and awkward those big books are.

I hung the bag-o-books on my shoulder like a purse and the straps immediately were alternately  digging into my shoulders and slipping down my arms.  That's ok, for books, for art I can do this.   I picked up the first art book and held it against my hip like I used to carry school books and babies.  So far so good.  The second book on the other hip. Like a careful balancing act.  I scolded myself. You can do this!  Except that I actually  couldn't.  I had no hands free to pick up the 3rd book.  And I quickly came to realize three things.  One:  Dang those coffee table books are heavy!  Two:  While I can do anything I absolutely have to do, I didn't have to do this.  It was not a life or death situation. It was a want rather than a need.  Three:  I was an idiot who chose to walk the mile to the library instead of driving.   I put all three books back and sadly walked away.  sigh.

I had to be honest. The red bag of books was already slipping  and I knew that I would be dropping and picking up the oversized books all the way home. That is no way to treat a book.  

Once home I removed the books from the bag and admired them in their stacks.  I came away with no beautiful over sized coffee table art cooks BUT I had sixteen (16!) brand new to me books to read. Hurrah! 

It was a new experience and it was crazy.  But if the library ever holds another event like this I absolutely will attend.  But next time I will drive there.