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Business brisk at annual Osterhout event, which offers loads of bargains

June 23, 2009

Book lovers flock to library sale

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
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WILKES-BARRE – Ronnie Buzinkai read or listened to 598 books in 2008. So it is safe to say she sees the value in the Friends of the Osterhout Free Library’s annual book sale.

Buzinkai, this year’s event chairperson, volunteers at the sale that offers books of all titles at prices from 10 cents to $9. She was busy Monday bringing more books up from the library’s basement on South Franklin Street. She said most are donated by local families, while others have been removed from the library’s shelves.

“Look at this World Atlas,” Buzinkai said as she pointed to an old version of the book of maps. “I think the world was flat when this was published.”

The book sale is held annually on the library’s lawn. A large tent kept buyers and sellers safe from the weather the last few days. The sale runs through Saturday, starting at 9:30 a.m. daily.

The sale began in the mid-1970s and proceeds are used to improve the Osterhout’s collections. Dorothy Carr, one of the two original organizers of the event, said sales have been brisk since Saturday’s opening day.

“I think we made $6,000 on Saturday alone,” she said, noting that expenses, such as tent rental fees, must come off of that figure. “This is the cheapest place in town for books.”

Rita Jenkins of Forty Fort said she attends the book sale every year.

“I look for unique books,” she said. “I love old books and CDs.”

On the other side of the tent, Danielle Banas of Wilkes-Barre was searching the piles for history books.

“I like to read about World War II,” she said. “And I bought a book about Anne Frank.”

Gene Letukas of Nanticoke had his arms filled with volumes.

“I like biographies,” he said. “But I bought a few books on sociology for my daughter in college.”

Buzinkai said there still are a lot of books to be brought up from the basement.

“I know we have about five boxes of Christmas books down there,” she said.

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