Last Wednesday I took an elevator up to the 21st floor of Saint Paul Place, anxious and excited to start my editorial internship at D Magazine this spring. On my first day, I decided to familiarize myself more with the company, starting with the website. As I browsed, I spotted a post about the Dallas Public Library hosting a sale. Like a dedicated book lover would do, I jotted down the details of the sale, and that Saturday, armed with my wallet, I took a trip to the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library.
The weekend-long event sold off books that would have normally been sold at BookEnds, the library’s former used-book shop. BookEnds closed its doors last July, leaving bargain-hunting bibliophiles without their fix of dirt cheap literature. Friends of The Dallas Public Library, the sponsors of the sale, now plan to host this event biannually, the next one coming this summer.
When I walked in the library, I saw a volunteer helping corral crowds in the sale area. Inside the main room, tables were set up with signs indicating book genres. Empty cardboard boxes lined the walls for shoppers whose arms could no longer hold their loot, something I happily took advantage of. Whatever space was not taken up by boxes or tables, humans occupied. Step forward, stop, pick up book, put it in your box, switch spots with someone else, passive aggressively stand behind someone until they let you in line, repeat.
After about an hour of this, I forced myself to check out—21 books are enough, right? Once everything was paid for (I spent a grand total of 40 bucks) and packed up, I waddled out of the library both thrilled about my new purchases and concerned the box I was carrying would bottom out at any moment. I made it to my car without a hitch, drove home, and started reading. I think I’m set for a while—at least, until the next book sale.
