Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Come make new 'friends' at book sale

In 2009, a writer named Judith Wynn Halsted published a book called, "Some of My Best Friends Are Books," a guide to 300 of her favorite books for young readers.

The title has always stuck with me because, well, it's true: Some of my best friends are books.

And a number of those friends have arrived via used book sales throughout my life.

I spent a couple of hours last Friday among some potential new "friends" as we set up the Friends of the Portales Public Library Pay What You Can Used Book Sale (which I'd also like to nominate for the Longest Event Name Award).

The sale opened Monday for a 10-day run - a solid week longer than usual - in order to accommodate with public health limitations.

Regulars know this particular sale has taken place each November for decades. It was one of the events that toppled from the calendar like most events did last year.

Then we discovered one of the most popular 2020 quarantine activities was cleaning out and organizing home libraries, and book donations flooded in.

With no public programs and a limit on patrons in the building, the public library, too, had some extra time to weed its own collection to clean out the dead wood (quite literally, in the case of books) and free up shelf space for new acquisitions.

Between those happenings, every storage space at the library was soon overflowing with boxes.

Hence, our first spring sale.

As we are sorting these books each year, I can't help but wonder whose hands have held that book before mine, and where all that book may have traveled.

(Set aside any germaphobic tendencies you may have for a moment and stick with me.)

The books that make it to this sale each year arrive for many reasons. Besides the above-mentioned shelf-clearing projects, books may be shed as their owners move, retire, discard an old hobby, or simply outgrow them.

Like all living things (don't challenge me on this notion), books have a lifespan. Some are loved until they are simply worn out. Others - like a microwave manual from 1984 - eventually outlive their usefulness.

But seen with new eyes and held with new hands, an old book can take on another life and be a part of yet another journey.

The sale is open during regular library hours through March 31. On April 1, leftovers will be moved to the driveway (barring a spring sandstorm) to be given away.

Consider this your invitation to come and make some new "friends" while supporting the programs of the Portales Public Library.

I'll see you there.

Betty Williamson is incurably addicted to used books. Reach her at:

[email protected]