CCPLS main branch continues used book sale
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 9, 2024
- Books donated after the recent closure of Camelot Books are being sold at the main branch of the Cullman County Public Library System for fifty-cents.
A sizable donation to the Cullman County Public Library has been turned into a “surprise, pop-up book sale,” giving local bookworms a chance to add to their personal collection.
Used books have long been available for public purchase in the hallway at the CCPLS main branch in the city of Cullman. However, co-director Shelby Creekmore said when the library received the roughly 30,000 unsold books after Camelot Books closed its doors earlier this year, that book sale has spilled over onto the library floor.
She said library staff have been busy combing through the collection and sorting the books into two categories. Books that aren’t set aside to be put into circulation, are added to the sale.
“We’re pulling those out from storage a little at a time and working through them to see what can be circulated and what can be sold. We’re putting those out everyday, so there are new editions being added [to the sale] everyday,” Creekmore said.
As for what is kept for circulation, she said any non-fiction books from the last 10 years which are in relatively good condition are automatically considered.
The exact details for how the proceeds from the book sale will be used have yet to ironed out, but Creekmore and the library staff have been discussing several possibilities. She said the building has been overdue for several upgrades for quite some time and could also benefit from adding additional bookcases to expand its collection.
Creekmore said one main priority is completing the lingering repairs from when a severe storm blew out the library’s south-facing windows and toppled several rows of shelving in August 2023.
“There’s a lot of building renovations that need to be done. That’s going to be a massive undertaking for us,” Creekmore said.
The sale has been ongoing since April 2 and so far, Creekmore said it has been a success. She is hoping to continue that momentum as the sale continues.
“We’re probably going to be doing this for about a month or so. We would love to clear out as much [of the donated books] as possible,” she said.
