Finally Went Down to the Friends of Library Book Sale for April

On this overheated, muggy late-April day, I decided to get on down to Main Street here in Gainesville to attend yet another Friends of the Library book sale.  They're held each April and October, at least in non-pandemic years, but I was considering skipping this one, with today being their next-to-last day of the sale.  Around noon when I got there, it was pretty crowded but at least there wasn't a long line in order to get in like two or three days ago.  I focused on the foreign language books, and they had an unusually wide selection of material.  I settled on one item to purchase, a Japanese-English idioms dictionary...complete with transliteration and sentence examples...for just one dollar.  It's something I can just keep by my side at the recliner and look at from time to time.  I was thinking about looking at their jigsaw puzzle selections, too, but they would have made me place my book out on a table where anyone could have walked away with it...so I demurred and went on home.  Besides, I have plenty of puzzles at home to do...

Went to Alachua County Friends of the Library Sale Today

 

For the first time in years I was able to attend the Alachua County Friends of the Library book sale, which takes place at their warehouse in the 400 block of North Main Street in Gainesville.  As usual I parked a few blocks east of the place and crossed Main Street with police stopping traffic for us bookworms.  Once there, I was dismayed to see a long line of people waiting to get in...looks like they were wisely limiting the number of customers inside at one time.  Within twenty minutes, though, I was among the familiar tables loaded with cheap, used books.  I had a specific agenda, heading straight to the mathematics section, and quickly chose several excellent books, their prices ranging from 50 cents to $1.50.  Then I hit the express line, paid, and got back to the car.  The volunteers there wore masks, but nearly all the customers did not...I wore one, though: it ain't quite over yet, folks.  Still, I'm glad to see this great old hometown tradition back and I hope it won't be interrupted again anytime soon.  Because of the pandemic the sale was cancelled in 2020 and April, 2021, resuming in October.  Although I didn't like having to wait in line to go in, I think this is a better system...pandemic or not...as in the past it was way too crowded and sometimes I found it very difficult to maneuver around everyone as I tried to browse the sections.  The sale lasts through Wednesday, opening each day at noon and closing 6 pm...