By Tiffany Morgan, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN — For more than 30 years, the Morgantown Public Library has offered a year-round book sale.
For people like Nancy Ruhe, a volunteer at the library and a member of the Friends of the Morgantown Public Library, it is a way for people in the community to recycle used books so others can read them.
“Part of what we want to do is get people reading,” Ruhe said.
The book sale, every Tuesday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and the first and third Saturday of every month from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., is something that helps give back to the community, with profits going back into the library.
The money from the book sales helps keep the library up-to-date.
Ruhe, who has been a volunteer at the library for four years, said she volunteers because she “likes books and the library,” as well as seeing the books they sell being passed on for others to read, in addition to benefiting the library.
“It’s a form of recycling that’s better than just putting them in the wheelie-bin to be pulped,” Ruhe said.
Janet Paine is on the library board of directors and a member of the Friends of the Morgantown Public Library. She said she loves the book sale because it offers a unique service to the community by receiving and re-selling used books.
“Most places don’t take used books anymore,” Paine said. “It’s nice to have a place in the community where people can go and get the books.”
Paine also said it is a smarter way to recycle and give back by continuing to reuse books that people donate, instead of throwing them away. It offers a unique service to the public.
“We try not to let them just go to a landfill, which I think is really important,” Paine said.
“Nancy and I really enjoy it because you find books you’ve never heard about,” Paine said. “You learn about new books and it kind of exposes you to other things.”
Ruhe said the profit from each sale “varies tremendously” but the community is “good about supporting the library.”
Paine said for some sales, they usually pick a theme, especially around holidays, to draw more attention to the book sale. Paine has been volunteering “since high school.” She said her time at the library is a more involved experience that has led her to meet many people in the community.
“I feel like I’ve been more in the community volunteering at the library because you meet all kinds of people,” Paine said. “It’s a fun way to meet people because it’s all walks of life.”
Paine said her service to the community for the library has been a way for her to be actively involved and give back.
“I wanted to give back and I thought this was a nice way to get involved,” Paine said. “We’re very fortunate to have such a nice library.”
