Thousands of books, $1 and up: Park City Library’s Miners Day sale is back

Friends of the Park City Library hosts two book sales per year to fundraise for library events and services. Photo: Friends of the Park City Library.

PARK CITY, Utah — The Friends of the Park City Library will hold its twice-yearly book sale over Miners Day weekend, with thousands of donated titles priced from $1 to $3.

The sale opens for members from 8-10 a.m. and then to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6. On Monday, Sept. 7, the sale runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from 2 to 4 p.m., shoppers can fill a provided tote bag for $15. The sale will be held on the third floor of the Park City Library. It is open to the public, and proceeds go directly to library programs and services.

Rachel Sahlman, co-chair of the Friends of the Library board, said the organization holds the sale twice a year, once around the Fourth of July and once around Miners Day.

“It’s really nice timing because people will come down right after the parade,” she said.

Children’s books sell for $1, adult paperbacks for $2 and adult hardcovers for $3. Shoppers can pay with cash, Venmo, or credit card, though card purchases must total more than $10.

Friends of the Library members get first access to the sale from 8 to 10 a.m. on the first day, ahead of the general public. Memberships can be purchased at the door or in advance on the library’s website. During the final two hours of the second day, shoppers can buy a $15 tote bag and fill it with as many books as they can fit. Sahlman noted that “the tote bags are pretty darn big.”

A separate room holds children’s books, along with puzzles and games, for families to browse.

This year’s sale will have a particularly good selection, as the Summit County Library has paused donations to its location during its move to the former SkullCandy building.

The Friends of the Library is the library’s fundraising arm, distinct from the separate Summit County library friends group. It raises money through the book sales, the annual Live PC Give PC campaign and memberships ranging from $25 to $1,000 a year.

Those funds support programs the city’s library budget doesn’t fully cover, including Music on the Patio, Saturday Kids Crafternoons, the Films in the Park series, e-book purchases and author visits through the One Book One Community program. The Friends recently helped the library buy a memory station that lets patrons digitize family photos and history.

Sahlman pointed to this year’s One Book One Community event featuring author Shelly Reed, held jointly with the Summit County library friends group, which drew about 250 people to a reception and presentation.

“Memberships provide reliable and predictable support for library programs,” Sahlman said, noting that members also get early sale access and invitations to free events such as author receptions.

More information on memberships and the book sale is available on the Friends of the Park City Library’s website.

• Sunday, Sept. 6: 8 to 10 a.m., member preview; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., open to the public
• Monday, Sept. 7: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., open to the public; 2 to 4 p.m., fill a provided tote bag for $15