6/21/2021: We hope to hold our first post-pandemic book sale in late September. Please check back here for updates.
Location
Our on-site book sales take place at the Main Library at 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park. The sales are held in the downstairs area. Except for our Holiday sales, we also use the courtyard in front of the Main Library. See Directions.
For information about our year-round online sales, see Amazon Sales.
Dates And Times
Our regular on-site book sales are held four times a year:
a Spring sale in March;
a Summer sale in June;
a Fall sale in September; and
a Holiday sale in December.
Occasionally we may hold an off-cycle sale focused on one or more specific categories.
The regular March, June and September sales are spread over a weekend and the December sale is on a Saturday. We set the dates for the upcoming four sales at the end of the preceding calendar year and post them to this page.
On Saturdays, the sales run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. On Sundays, the sales run from noon to 2:00 p.m.
Range Of Books And Other Items
In General. At our on-site book sales, we offer used adult titles in a broad range of fiction, poetry and drama, non-fiction and reference categories. We also offer a large selection of children's titles. We feature both recent and older publications. In addition to books, we offer used CDs, DVDs, puzzles and games.
Holiday Sales. At our December sales, we feature a number of items selected for suitability as gifts.
Collectibles. Unlike our bookstore, our on-site book sales also feature a number of antiquarian and collectible books (including sets).
Typical Prices
In General. Our on-site book sale prices are very modest. A majority of the books and other items are in the $1-$2 range. Selected items are priced a little higher, while most mass-market paperbacks are priced at 50 cents. The price for each item is either inside the cover page or stickered on the front.
Antiquarian and Collectible Books. The prices for these books are higher to reflect their age and rarity. However, they are priced modestly compared to their retail re-sale value.
Bag Sales. On the Sunday of our Spring, Summer and Fall two-day sales, purchases of individual items remaining after the first day are discounted by 50% from the marked price. In addition, customers may purchase as many items as will fit into a bag for $5. Customers must use the bags provided by us.
Payment Methods
We accept cash and checks with (appropriate I.D.) for purchases at our on-site book sales. Credit cards are not accepted.
Cashiers are available downstairs for all sales. For the Spring, Summer and Fall sales, cashiers are also available in the courtyard.
We offer assistance in bagging or boxing purchases. However, we do expect our customers to remove their purchases from the Library premises by the time the sale is over that day. We cannot hold items after that.
Sign-Up For Notices
If you would like to receive e-mail notice of each of our upcoming book sales, please sign up through our Book Sale Notifications.
