Thousands of books will be up for grabs for a bargain when the Friends of the Milanof-Schock Library host its annual book sale. The sale will be held from Thursday, June 19, through Saturday, June 21, at Donegal High School, 1025 Koser Road, Mount Joy. On Thursday, a preview and purchase event will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. with an admission charge. There is no charge to attend on Friday, June 20, when the sale will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., or on Saturday, when the sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Saturday, all books will be one price per bag.

Books will be available for children, teens and adults in a wide variety of genres. "We have a super strong history section and also biographies and autobiographies as well as science fiction," shared Diane Rice, who will co-chair the sale with Lora Jones. "Last year at the sale, we had several people comment on the quality of our science fiction section, and I actually think we equaled it this year."

Music and other audio CDs, DVDs and videos will also be for sale.

"We have a lot of art books, too," Rice said. "We have a lot of collections that came in on all kinds of artists. We have a very big specially priced area, too."

While coming early to the sale ensures the best selection, there are plenty of books for people who visit on the weekend.

"If you wait until Saturday, maybe your first pick is not there anymore, but you can get a great deal," Rice commented.

People can also enjoy a variety of inexpensive food for purchase, including sandwiches, soft pretzels and baked goods made by members of the Friends group.

Preparing for the annual book sale is a year-round event for the group. The members collect book donations in a shed located behind the library at 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy, any time the library is open (although collection is paused in the days leading up to the sale).

The sale would not happen without the support of many people, Rice said.

"We want to thank the community for their support with our sale, and we want to thank Donegal High School, especially the custodial staff and the office staff, because they help us so much. The library board itself has really stepped up, too, with board members doing things like preparing the food and helping with moving the books from here to the school. Last year, it was done so well. Donegal Performing Arts students helped us, and we had it done in record time."

Proceeds from the book sale will go toward operational and programming expenses at the library.

The Milanof-Schock Library will host a variety of programs this summer, including the Summer Reading Program, which kicked off on June 7. With a theme of "Color My World," the Summer Reading Program offers opportunities for hands-on learning and fun for kids of all ages. To learn more, visit https://mslibrary.org.