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Beach Reads To Classics: Get Bargains At Westport Library's Book Sale

WESTPORT, Conn. — The Westport Library’s Book Sale is a staple of the summer season. 

Mimi Greenlee and Dick Lowenstein run the show at the Westport Library's annual summer book sale.

Mimi Greenlee and Dick Lowenstein run the show at the Westport Library's annual summer book sale.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The sale, now in its 24th year, expects to enjoy 10,000 “walk-ins” flocking to Jesup Green and the McManus Room to browse through 100,000 books. They will spend well over $100,000 — all of which supports the library’s programming and acquisitions. Shoppers will be assisted by some 300 volunteers. 

The sale ends, and the next day 45 volunteers start working on the next year’s event. 

This year’s sale will run from July 16 to July 19 on Jesup Green, behind the Library. Sale hours will be Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday, half-price day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. is Contribution Day — take what you want and make a contribution to the Westport Library. 

The sale’s longtime leaders, Dick Lowenstein and Mimi Greenlee, said that a key part of preparing is to check every book they receive, and to sort and price every signed, unique or valuable book — as well as to determine what to do with that 17th copy of last year’s mass market best seller. 

"Every month volunteers box, mark and send 300 cartons of books to an off site storage location,” Greenlee said. 

Most visitors go straight to the big tent, looking for that book — or four — they never knew they needed (“need” means “I don’t have it and I want it”). 

There will be a smaller tent chock-a- block with children’s books, and another offering scads of CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks — and lots of vinyl — for those who remember LPs, or who want to hear what their parents and grandparents listened to in “the good old days.” 

If you’re looking for something special, go to the McManus Room and take a look at the collection of interesting and valuable books. 

Lowenstein showed of two of this year’s featured titles, a 1576 Plantin Press edition of "Seneca's Tragedies," printed in Antwerp, and a beautifully photographed, signed limited edition of "Salvador Dali: A Study of his Art-in- Jewels," printed in 1958. 

Take a look at a collection of Beatlemania offered by local resident Al Brodax, the producer and co-author of the ground-breaking Beatles animated film, "Yellow Submarine." You’ll also find a collection of Playboy magazines from the ‘60’s and ’70’s. And if you’re looking for something for the beach, come and take a look. For the price, you can’t go wrong.

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