Read all about it: Shepherdstown Community Club ready for annual book sale

The annual book sale, hosted by the Shepherdstown Community Club, offers thousands of choices for book shoppers. Toni Milbourne
SHEPHERDSTOWN — Book lovers can once again get ready to indulge in their favorite pastime, by visiting the annual Legendary Book Sale at the Shepherdstown Community Club.
“Our best estimate is that we have approximately 75,000 books,” said club member Mike Austin, who helps organize the annual event. “Those come from over 125 individual donors, mostly families.”
Among those donations are those from the estate of beloved Shepherdstown resident Mary Stanley.
“By their accounting, this includes around 1,000 cookbooks,” Austin said.
The sale is scheduled to be held from Oct. 14-18, allowing for a preview reception on Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission to the preview night is $20 per person for non-club members. SCC members will be admitted at no cost.
The sale is open to the public beginning at 10 a.m. Oct. 15 and will be open until 6 p.m. The same hours will be available for shopping on Oct. 16, while the hours for Oct. 17 will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with maximum discounts available on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s going to be a long, chilly winter,” said Jen Wabnitz, SCC president. “Come and stock up on books to enjoy.”
Wabnitz encourages book lovers to challenge themselves to read new genres this year, by picking out books they normally wouldn’t at the sale.
“Immerse yourself in a classic or indulge yourself with one of your favorites,” she said, adding this year’s selection will allow everyone to find something they will enjoy. “You can feel good about buying books at our sale. They are inexpensive, you are reusing and the proceeds are used to take care of Morgan’s Grove Park.”
Books will be displayed on both floors of the War Memorial Building and social distancing will be the order of the day. General subject areas will include, but certainly not be limited to: classics, gardening, history, sports, health and medicine, reference materials and biographies. The Civil War and cookbook sections are always well-represented and popular.
Paperbacks are typically separated from hardback books, although there may be some intermixing, depending upon the subject matter. Children’s books will be available for purchase as well.
The SCC continues to seek volunteer support for the sale. Those who would like to help can contact Austin at 304-876-0598 or 304-261-2359. He may also be contacted for last minute donation pick-ups or to schedule drop-offs.