Library Friends' June book sale helps fuel a lifelong love of reading

Karrie Partin had a well-practiced plan for Friends of the Abilene Public Library's annual book sale.

"I go early on the first day. I had to be there first thing," said Partin. That was when she would find books for her students, which would be picked over quickly, she said. Then it was on to specialty books for herself — spirituality and biographies, for example.

"I save the novels for Sunday."

And when not shopping, Partin would volunteer at the sale, straightening books or  working at the checkout counter.

Those plans have changed a little this year, though, with Partin's retirement after more than 38 years as a teacher in Abilene ISD. She won't be shopping for a classroom, but instead will be taking on more volunteering responsibilities, setting up and volunteer coordination under book sale chairperson Martha Magee.

It's a natural step for Partin, who early on in life developed a love of books that would last a lifetime.

Born to read

A native of Wichita Falls, Partin's family moved to Kansas when she was in first grade, and she missed out on some reading classes.

"I was very behind, so I had to catch up," Partin said. "By the time the school year ended I had read the second-most books in the class. It's been important to me ever since."

As she grew up, she fell in love with Beverly Cleary's books, such as "Ramona the Pest" and "Beezus and Ramona," as well as the Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew series.

"We didn't have a lot of money growing up, so we didn't do a lot of traveling," Partin said. "So I could read, and it take me, in my imagination, to lots of different places.

"There's this weird thing about me, I just love words. I love language, I love noticing how things are described, I love different dialects, I love word pictures."

By high school, after her family had returned to Wichita Falls, she knew that she wanted her career to involve reading, and was considering a writing career having been co-editor of her school newspaper.

Teaching eventually won out.

"I was very involved in church and teaching kids in Sunday school, and did a lot of babysitting, so I decided I wanted to teach," Partin said. "And I knew that I could keep reading books every day."

In 1980, she began attending Abilene Christian University to major in education. After graduating, she began teaching third grade at Johnston Elementary (now Purcell Elementary), and later moving to Jackson Elementary (now Alcorta Elementary).

Childhood favorites and more

When her own children started going to college, she started teaching summer school for high schoolers to help pay the bills, she said.

It was then that she was introduced to the book sale by fellow teacher Jim Pizzorno, a Friends board member.

"I started coming, and then I was hooked," said Partin, who found the sale to be a great resource not just for her own library, but for her classroom.

"I bought a bunch of the Beverly Cleary books that I liked ... so I had a whole class set of those. My kids loved the Percy Jackson novels ... so I found several of those. You have to really look if you're looking for something specific."

"The real neat thing is that I've found by accident books that are just life changing," said Partin, her favorite book sale find being a copy of "The Round House" by Louise Erdrich.

"That turned me on to her writing. She's one of those writers that you cannot wait until their next book comes out. Nowm I've read virtually every book she's written."

A self-admitted book snob, Partin said she usually sticks to Pulitzer Prize winners, or books that have some other major recognition, with other favorites including works by Wendell Berry, Henri Nouwen and Robert Bly; although her all-time favorite is Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables."

"It's the best book ever written, besides the Bible," said Partin said. "Besides the Bible."

Spellbound by books

For Partin, the sale offers her the opportunity to be more adventurous, and to explore works she wouldn't consider otherwise for the chance at finding a hidden gem.

"It's a lot of risk-taking if you buy a book and pay $20," Partin said. "If you just pay a dollar for it, and it turns out to not be that great, you haven't wasted much."

While admitting to buying too many books, Partin said her family jokes that her collection helps keep her alive.

"I don't want to die because I've got too many books left to read," Partin said, adding a quote from Lisa Wingate's novel "The Book of Lost Friends": "I have always known that if there is magic in this world, it is contained in books."

"I am grateful to the Friends of the Library Association, the Pizzorno family and Martha Magee in particular," Partin said. "The sale is a huge undertaking that is year round."

"I’m looking forward to doing my small part ... so that more people can hold and read these magical things called books!”

Nathaniel Ellsworth is a general assignments reporter for the Abilene Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com. 

If You Go

What: Friends of the Abilene Public Library book sale

When: Members-only sale 5-8 p.m. Thursday; open to the public 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, with Bag-O-Books sale from 1-4 p.m. Sunday

Where: Abilene Convention Center, 1100 North Sixth St.

Cost: Admission is free. During regular sale hours, paperbacks are $1, hard and soft cover books are $2. On Sunday, bags of books will be $6.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Library book sale helps fuel a lifelong love of reading