Ali Howat, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
During the August long weekend, the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives hosted a Gigantic Used Book Sale.
The event was started by the Jasper Yellowhead Historical Society, which runs the museum and archives.
Fred Kofin was initially the original founder of the book sale and started it to help raise money for the historical society and museum and archives back in the 1970s.
Every long weekend during the summer, they would haul the books and set them up downstairs in the meeting room, then pack them all up until the next long weekend came around.
Finally, a decision was made to just run the event throughout the entire months of July and August.
Last year, in the summer of 2020, the museum decided to start hosting summer camps down in the meeting room where the sale used to be, so the museum chose to run the book sale on August and September long weekend.
All the books that are sold are all donated to them throughout the year.
This year, the sale had 140 milk crates full of books brought out and by the end of the long weekend they had used up 85 of the milk crates.
The books that are left over from this sale will go back into storage and will be sold at the next sale during the September long weekend.
Throughout the four days of long weekend, the book sale saw about 700 people and raised over $2,000, with all the proceeds supporting various programs and exhibits.
The museum also hosted a float day during one of the days during the book sale to help raise a little extra money.
All the work during the sale and throughout the weekend is done by volunteers.
Those who have any books that are in need of a new home, feel free to donate them to the museum so they can find a new place to call home during the next book sale during the September long weekend.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. if you鈥檇 like to drop off any books to donate.
