Big collections donated for Blaine library book sale

Friends of the Blaine Library’s annual Fourth of July book sale promises to be bigger than usual, with more rare and vintage books, members of the friends group say.

The sale, which is a fundraiser for Friends of the Blaine Library, will have 800 to 1,000 books – three times its normal size – thanks to several large donations, said Pat Kingshott, vice president of the friends group.

“It has given us an overwhelming supply,” she said. “This is the biggest book sale we’ve ever had.”

Thanks to the big inventory, books will be half the normal price: $1 for hardcover books and 50 cents for paperbacks, rather than $2 and $1.

Recent donations include several rare sets of books dating back to 1908, Kingshott said. Some of those books won’t be included in the sale, as the friends group is working to properly price them. Most sale items are in good condition and there’s a lot of variety, including DVDs, audiobooks and book bags, Kingshott said.

The sale goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 4, and will continue on July 5 and 6 during regular library hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

All the money goes to the friends group, which advocates for the Blaine Library and funds things the Whatcom County Library System doesn’t, including potential library expansions. Recent purchases by Friends of the Blaine Library include new chairs, partition panels and a projector for the meeting room and booths in the teen reading area.

Friends of the Blaine Library also has an ongoing book sale in the meeting room of the Blaine Library and a display case with rare collections and special items for sale.

For more information, visit blainelibraryfriends.org or call the Blaine Library at 360/305-3637.