One of the great advantages of public libraries is the money you can save by using the free services offered. It is estimated that you can easily amass from $500 to $3,000 dollars a year in savings depending on how much you read and if you check out many eBooks or use the available databases, literacy kits, library of things, and other specialized equipment. However, another method of holding onto your cash reserves is to buy books, movies, and more from the Friends of the Library Bookstore. 

The Friends of the Library are a 501c3 charitable organization that helps support and fund literacy programs for our community. One of the ways the Friends acquire funds is through the library’s book donation program. The Friends are happy to take your book, DVD, CD, and other usable item donations that are clean and in good condition. 

ICL uses the donations in a few ways. First, we check to see if we want to add them to our collection either as a new copy or to replace a worn copy already in the collection. Next, we add books that have a value greater than $10 to our Amazon and eBay book sales. Then, we circulate the remaining donations through our Friends Bookstore. 

As the number of institutions still accepting book donations continues to diminish, our Friends Bookstore continues to gather more high-quality books, DVDs, music CDs, electronic equipment, puzzles, and more. The inventory is constantly changing as we acquire more materials and have a limited area for displaying all the items. By checking regularly, you can find some real gems for unbelievable prices. Hardcover books are just a dollar, and softcovers are 50 cents (although you can always donate more if you wish). 

As the bookstore shelves fill to the brim, we take the older books and ship them by the pallet to Thriftbooks. This is another reminder that if you are looking for books online it is worth checking to see if there is a copy available from the Friends of the Ignacio Community Library or Thriftbooks. How long a book remains on the shelves depends on how quickly more books arrive, causing the inventory to rotate. 

This also seems a good space to mention that the library almost always has FREE books, spare electronics cords and power adapters, as well as an ever-changing selection of unusual giveaways located on the table in the entryway. 

So please remember that your public library is your money-saving place. If you are in the market for a good read at a bargain price, either for yourself or as a gift for someone else, come checkout the Friends Bookstore located just inside the front entrance of the library and the more extensive collection on the second floor.