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Hooked on books?
Get your fill at library sale this weekend

by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

Volunteers worked all week to organize 35,000-40,000 items for this weekend's Friends of the Pleasanton Library Spring 2012 Book Sale, which starts this evening.

The sale is more than books, said Marilyn Swanson, who heads up the operation. It includes DVDs, CDs, puzzles, games, sheet music, cards, bookmarks and even a few picture frames. There are several shelves of cookbooks plus gardening and crafts, and some huge coffee table books.

"We sell videos, too," Swanson noted. "A lot of people have second homes where they still have VCRs."

Hardbacks and trade paperbacks sell for $1; paperbacks for 50 cents. Some are brand new, signed by the author.

About 40 to 50 volunteers showed up this week to help ready the sale, including 36 on Monday alone, Swanson said. Friends of the Pleasanton Library members also meet each Monday throughout the year to go through that week's contributions collected in the library.

"We go through all the donations, sort through them, put them onto shelves, and then pack them into boxes," Swanson said.

The spring and fall book sales earn about $15,000-$20,000 for the Friends of the Library, which uses the money to support the library and fund special projects requested by staff and patrons.

Friends members also work in teams to shelve children's picture books, videos and CDs; mend books; process and shelve magazines; and serve as docents for the genealogy collection.

This weekend's book sale hours are:

* Friday, 6-9 p.m. -- members only; join at the door

* Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

* Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. -- fill a bag for $7

Friends of the Pleasanton Library memberships are $10 for an individual; $5 student; $15 family; $100 lifetime; $150 lifetime/couple.

To minimize congestion, no scanners or strollers will be permitted in the sale room.

The Pleasanton Public Library is located at 400 Old Bernal Ave.