Erie's Great American Book Sale returns July 10-15 in new space

Get your reading lists ready. The Great American Book Sale is coming back in full force this coming summer.

The popular weeklong event, which has been organized for more than four decades by the Friends of the Erie County Public Library, is making its first large-scale appearance since 2019.

After canceling the sale in 2020 and attempting a smaller book sale in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Friends hope to bring back a sense of normalcy to bibliophiles who look forward to the sale every year.

Related coverage:Erie’s Great American Book Sale canceled for 2020

"Everybody is so excited to come and be there, it’s very rewarding," said Carol Gettinger, a Friends board member.

Preparations for the sale — which will take place July 10-15 — happen all year long, and this year, several changes are coming to the Erie tradition, including a new location and increased prices.

A new (temporary) home

Before 2020, the Great American Book Sale had been held for a few years at McDowell Intermediate High School in Millcreek Township. Due to construction updates going on at the school this year, the Friends had to choose a new location for their sale.

2018 report:The Great American Book Sale has a new home

This year it will take place at the Flo Fabrizio Ice Center, 527 W. 38th St..

"We were familiar with the ice center because of different activities that my husband has been involved in, so we knew it had adequate space," said Marion Gallivan, who has been a Friends volunteer with her husband, Bob Gallivan, since the group was founded in 1978.

The Friends are confident there's enough room for the sale's almost 80,000 books and other media, but expect it will take visitors some time to get acquainted with an entirely new set-up.

"The physical plant is a lot narrower because most people aren’t going on the ice, they’re going up in the stands," said Marilyn Russell, one of the book sale's coordinators. "So even the entrance, to get everybody on the rink where all the books are, is going be slow going for a little bit until we get the crowd in there and dispersed around."

While McDowell Intermediate High School is the "ideal" location for their book sale, the Friends expect to stay at the Flo Fabrizio Ice Center for at least two years until construction at the high school is complete, Gallivan said.

Prices are going up

Moving to a new location comes with new costs.

"Everything costs more this year than it has in the past," Gallivan said.

In addition to renting out a new space, the Friends are hiring professional movers to assist with setting up tables and handling more than 18,000 boxes of books.

In the past, those tasks were tackled primarily by Friends volunteers, but the job has become too great just for them, Gallivan said. Recruiting extra assistance, in general, has been a challenge for the Friends this year, but they expect help from people who are court-ordered to complete community service hours as a condition of their probation through the Erie County Probation Department.

Column:When the inexpensive is priceless

Since there was no sale in 2020 and the mini-book sale last year only brought in $15,000 compared to a regular year where sales are closer to $40,000, the Friends are offsetting the lack of sales and this year's operation costs with slight prices increases. Those new prices have yet to be determined.

"I think people will understand," Russell said. "We’ve all been faced with it, going to the grocery and gasoline, just everything. I really feel that they need to know that prices are going to go up, but I don’t think they’ll be surprised or balk at it."

Wednesday and Thursday will continue to offer all materials, excluding those in the Collector's Corner, at half price. On Friday, visitors will be able to purchase a bag or box of books at an even lower price.

The Friends have also begun selling their more valuable book donations that are typically found in the Collector's Corner on abebooks.com, an online marketplace for high-end or rare items.

"(Matt Dennison) has been working with us for many years to price our collectibles and he suggested this as a way to raise more money, especially on our valuables," Gallivan said. "So far, it's going really well."

The Friends' items on abebooks.com are listed under Bayfront Bookshelf, the name of their bookstore in the lobby of Blasco Library.

Revenue that the Friends generate throughout the year supports and assists the Erie County Public Library system in putting on programs and events, training staff and for other purposes.

For information, visit the Friends of the Erie County Public Library Facebook page at facebook.com/EriePAFriendsOftheLibrary.

If you go

What: Great American Book Sale

When: July 10-15, Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Where: Flo Fabrizio Ice Center, 527 W. 38th St. in Erie

Baylee DeMuth can be reached at 814-450-3425 or bdemuth@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @BayleeDeMuth.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie's Great American Book Sale returns, but at Flo Fabrizio Ice Center