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Book Festivals, Used Book Sales, and Used Book Sellers in the Finger Lakes

It cannot be denied that having more than 20 colleges and universities in the region helps to promote reading, but reading tastes in the Finger Lakes extend far beyond textbooks. Poetry, local history, the classics, cookbooks, essays, law, engineering, computer science, medicine, sex, even comic books can be found in great profusion in the Finger Lakes.

Twice a year the Friends of the Tompkins County Library holds one of the largest booksales in the country in an enormous pole barn in Ithaca. The line at the door begins days in advance no matter what the weather, with people coming from all over the East Coast of the United States and Ontario, Canada. The most dedicated pitch tents on the sidewalk. Spring and fall 250,000 books, all donated by the community, go on sale. Prices begin at $4.50 for hard cover books. This includes unused college textbooks that normally sell for $125.00 each. You can't beat the bargains. The entire sale is extremely well sorted with many people coming in with lists of specific titles or authors they hope to find. It's amazing sometimes what people are looking for, and even more amazing when they find it. The money from the sale is funneled back into the community in the form of grants for reading programs, money to the Tompkins County Public Library to buy new books, and scholarships to library science students. Two young women came for the first time to the Fall 2006 sale. As they passed a long row of shelves filled with books and turned a corner, one said to the other, "Look, they sell records!" "Awesome!" the other responded. Yes, ladies, and the Friends also sells, CDs, DVDs, puzzles, and children's games. YOU are cordially invited to be one of the many who are awestruck by this sale.

It's hard to beat the Friends Booksale. But below is a list of other regularly scheduled sales in the Finger Lakes. You never know what you might find.

Book Festivals

Lane Dworkin Jewish Book Festival

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester

1200 Edgewood Ave.

Rochester, NY 14618

585-461-2000

9-day festival in late October and early November at 3 locations with authors of books for both adults and children. Reservations are recommended for certain events.