Photo provided Shoppers look through the books available at a previous Friends of the Cape Coral Library sale. File photo

There’s nothing quite like immersing one’s self in a good book. The Friends of the Cape Coral Library know that all too well, and are giving the public the opportunity to once again to dive into a tome of their choice for an affordable price.

Beginning next Thursday for members only and to the public Friday and Saturday, the Friends of the Cape Coral Library will hold its Spring Book Sale Fundraiser where more than 10,000 quality used books will be available for purchase.

Now in its 50th year in the city, this is the club’s first book sale since November of 2019, as COVID-19 concerns prevented any open-to-the-public gatherings at indoor venues.

“It’s wonderful to be back because we’ve been collecting books for a little over a year with the purpose of having one of our big, traditional, in-person book sales,” Donna Lavacque, president of the Friends of the Cape Coral Library, said. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s a culmination of a year’s worth of donations that we have purposefully focused on both quality and quantity.”

The sale, open to the public on April 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on April 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., takes place in the meeting room of the Cape Coral Public Library.

Selections, ranging from paperbacks to hardcovers, will be broken up into categories, including fiction and non-fiction for adults, young adults and children; non-fiction sorted by subject, such as arts, crafts, history, biography, cookbooks, gardening and more. The sale also features audio books, CDs and DVDs. Most items are $1 or $2, and small paperbacks are less than a dollar. The club also has arranged a large selection of special books of interest to collectors that are priced higher but are still an incredible bargain.

“We’ll have traditional New York Times Best Sellers, fiction for all ages, children and young adult books, a huge selection of non-fiction and cookbooks galore,” Lavacque said.

Proceeds from the sale benefit the countless programs conducted by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library, as well as maintenance, upkeep, and improvements to the building, systems, and amenities available to library-goers not covered by county budget.

“We raise funds, primarily through the sale of donated books, to provide funding to the Cape Coral – Lee County Public Library and Northwest Regional Library,” Lavacque said. “Over 50 years we’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that has gone towards building funds, audio/visual and sorting equipment, furnishings, special items for the children’s section, and programming.”

The Friends of the Cape Coral library in a non-profit actively promoting and supporting the library through programs and activities, including: book sales, special fundraising events, membership meetings devoted to topics of interest to library supporters, guest author appearances that help build interest in books and reading, and public programs that provide cultural enrichment for the community.

The club takes part local community events such as reading festivals, offers a summer reading program, and other fun activities for children.

The Cape Coral Library is unique in that it features an art gallery and butterfly garden, thanks to a Friends of the Cape Coral Library sponsorship. The club manages the gallery exhibits and purchases plants and supplies requested by volunteer caretakers from Garden Club of Cape Coral.

Lavacque said while the pandemic put a halt on countless library activities, events and fundraisers, the club persevered through online sales and continued to stay connected. Many other library clubs were disbanded over the last few years, Lavacque added.

“While the pandemic may have prevented us from conducting certain aspects of our business, such as pausing our membership meetings for a year-and-a-half, we persisted elsewhere thanks to a dedicated core group of volunteers, board of directors, and select committees.”

The club wanted a way to stay in the public eye and engage its members, and continued to collect donations throughout the pandemic. Eventually board meetings resumed and outdoor events such as a children’s art contest involving local teachers at Rotary Park was able to take place in 2021.

“We are fortunate to have many dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who are happy that business is getting back to normal,” Lavacque

General Membership Meetings, which are free and open to the public, are held at the Cape Coral Library on a Saturday morning during the months of January, March, May, July, September and November.

Meetings start at 9:30 a.m. with coffee and snacks, and are followed by a business meeting and informative presentation. Attendees are encouraged to socialize with members and learn about upcoming events.

Forms of payment at the book sale includes cash or personal check; credit cards are not accepted. Friends of the Cape Coral Library will pick up donations of gently used books of resale quality. Also accepted are audiobooks, CDs and DVDs. Call 239-349-2572 and leave a message with your name and that you would like to make a donation or would like more information.

The Cape Coral – Lee County Public Library is at 921 Southwest 39th Terrace. For more information on the Friends of the Cape Coral Library, visit capefriends.org.

–Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj