Students and faculty sifted through stacks of books, paintings and records in the Ver Steeg Lounge at the Northwestern University Library Wednesday morning as the library hosted its annual book sale.
The annual book sale offers everything from “the collected works of Leonardo Da Vinci, early western paintings and prints of American frontier life” to “fascinating biographies on Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill and Jane Addams,” according an advertisement on the University Library’s website. The items on sale are laid out by subject on tables that fill the Ver Steeg Lounge on the upper level of the library.
The books on sale come from a variety of sources, explained the library’s Gifts Coordinator, Toby Worscheck.
“There are a lot of people who donate books to the NU Library every year,” Worscheck said. “There are also books that have been withdrawn, that aren’t being checked out anymore.”
The thousands of donated books are examined by a specialist who determines whether the books should be added to the library’s collection, Worscheck said. Rejected books, including duplicates, “end up going to the book sale,” where they can generate revenue for the library.
The annual book sale is also a way for the library to connect with the community, said Worscheck, who called it “a really big public relations thing for us.”
By Wednesday afternoon, the book sale had already attracted a large crowd. Kaitlin Speer, a graduate student in applied mathematics, was impressed by the selection.
“It’s pretty good, I was surprised,” Speer said. “There are some really good books that I’ve used in grad school that I didn’t think would be here.”
The book sale was open Wednesday only to those with a valid Wildcard, but members of the general public will be able to enter Thursday and Friday. More information can be found on the Northwestern University Library website.