Book lovers flock to opening day of Kent library sale

KENT – The Kent Memorial Library’s popular used book sale drew eager shoppers on opening day Friday, May 22despite being held in a new location this year.

With the library’s North Main Street building undergoing a major renovation, the sale has temporarily moved to the library’s quarters on Landmark Lane in the Kent Shopping Center, thanks to property owner John Casey.

Shoppers began lining up well before the 1 p.m. opening. Many were book dealers, loading bags and boxes with their finds.

“Dealers are frequent customers,” said Perry Smith, chair of the book sale committee. “Our prices are very reasonable and we have a large selection.”

Smith watched as several patrons made a beeline for the art books, quickly snapping up much of the inventory. The sale offers genres for nearly every interest, with fiction remaining especially popular. Hardcover books sell for $3, and all titles are donated.

“Book sale committee members spent 244 hours organizing and putting out the books,” Smith said.

The books are arranged by category, making it easy for shoppers to browse specific subjects.

Brett Busang of Gaylordsville stumbled upon the sale by chance while visiting town. After noticing the crowd, he stopped to take a look and left with several purchases.

“Poetry found me,” he said. “They have an excellent selection and great prices.”

Denise and Hans Ribbeck of New Milford were also pleased with their discoveries. Denise found three Stephen King novels to add to her collection, while Hans succeeded in his search for graphic novels.

“This is really a great sale,” he said. “I appreciate how organized you are.”

The sale runs from May through October and is open Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is staffed entirely by volunteers, who sort and price books, work as cashiers and help set up and cover the inventory each day.