Books-N-Things Fair to return in May, will be held at St. John's

Dede Biles, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

Feb. 11—After a delay because of the difficulty in finding a large venue, the Aiken County Community Association has set the dates for the return of the popular Books-N-Things Fair.

The fundraiser will be held May 26-28 at St. John's United Methodist Church at 104 Newberry St. S.W. in Aiken.

"We are grateful to St. John's for the use of their very big gym for the sale," said association President and Books-N-Things Co-Chair Terry Scott in a prepared statement. "Their support is crucial to our ability to continue to support students and programs.

"Aside from the funding produced for our charities," she continued, "the sale keeps tons of books and other materials out of landfills and gives families and others an affordable way to have books in their homes. At the end of the sale, we share leftover books with teachers, day care centers, nursing homes and Little Free Libraries."

The Books-N-Things Fair's hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 26 and May 27 and 1 to 5 p.m. May 28.

Plans call for a limited number of Attic Treasures items, if any, to be offered in order to maximize the space for the "tens of thousands" of used books that have been donated since 2020, when the most recent Books-N-Things Fair took place, according to a news release.

The organization currently is conducting mini sales from noon to 6 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays at the Graniteville Marketplace at 3770 Jefferson Davis Highway.

The Books-N-Things Fair began in the early 1960s and traditionally was an annual event, but it was canceled in 2021 and 2022 because of concerns about COVID-19.

The Aiken Branch of the American Association of University Women conducted the Books-N-Things Fair through 2020.

Approximately 80% of the proceeds in the past were used to support education and promote literacy in the Aiken area, and around 20% of the money was sent to the Educational Foundation of the national AAUW, which is based in Washington, D.C.

In 2021, ACCA was formed and many of the members of the AAUW's Aiken Branch joined the new group, which became the new organizer of Books-N-Things.

Ellen Harvey is the other co-chair of Books-N-Things.

Over the years, the fundraiser has generated more than $500,000 to benefit the Aiken area.

For more information, visit ACCA's Aiken SC Book Sale page on Facebook or contact Harvey at EllenEHarvey@gmail.com.