Achi news desk-
It’s a book lover’s dream.
In 2024, CalgaryReads Big Book Auction volunteers have sorted nearly 200,000 donated books at the Calgary Curling Club for the auction which runs from May 10th to the 20th.
“By going to the book sale, by buying books, you’re supporting the next generation of readers,” said Steacy Pinney, chair of the early childhood literacy committee with Rotary Calgary. “It’s clear as you raise the amount of money that more and more books leave the curling club and go out into the community so people can experience the joy of reading.”
The majority of the books are priced between two and four dollars and the money generated from the sale goes towards children’s literacy programs with the aim of introducing more children to the joy of reading.
The Rotary Club of Calgary is the steward of the auction and has partnered with Left Unread, an organization that focuses on a child’s right to read.
“Our mission has always been a thriving community, where people read and children in particular are supported to read,” said Pinney.
First year
The first auction was held in 2003 and its purpose was to raise money to cover the cost of CalgaryReads tutoring programs for early grade school students who struggle with reading.
That year, the sale of gently used books raised $5,000.
“We were a small little group of friends who knew that kids needed help learning how to read,” Pinney said. “We had no corporate partners, certainly no government funding.”
The sale has grown over the years and in 2023 generated more than $500,000 to promote literacy through initiatives led by YW Calgary, Book Bank, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, Little Red Reading House along with Mount Royal University.
Book lovers
Pinney says many volunteers are book lovers who give time to set up and run the auction to support literacy, but also to get the first crack at buying books. The 1,200 plus volunteers are celebrated on the day before the auction itself starts when the doors are open for them to grab a maximum of 20 books.
“The act of being literate is one that spans the generations and therefore volunteering also spans the generations,” he said. “If you’re a reader, your children are probably going to read.
“If you are a volunteer, your children are probably more likely to volunteer because they see that act of service to the community being modeled for them.”
Joe Burgess has been a volunteer for six years and works tirelessly for weeks helping to organize the auction.
“I mean, I love books that I read constantly,” he said. “For children’s literacy, this is huge.”
Burgess has two sons, 14-year-old Douglass and 15-year-old Fredrick. He has read countless stories to the boys while they were growing up and would like to see them read more now that they are older.
“This is a good thing for me to teach them,” he said. “I’ve brought them over just to see this process and everything and get them to understand what this is all about.”
Shoppers pay a small fee to enter the auction but can find best sellers and gently used new goods. The sale also includes sections of audiobooks, DVDs and collectables.
Shirley McIntyre is co-chair of the event who spends months organizing the auction. She says she has bought at least 30 books a year during the past 16 years of volunteering and is excited about some of this year’s selection of gently used books.
“Best sellers this year, we have tons of 2023, 24 published books,” he said. “So it’s a great deal for six bucks, it’s a great deal.”
Rare book section
There is also a rare book section that David Wenzel helps to look after during the auction.
“Each book in the collectible section is priced individually,” he said. “It’s a little bit of a different system here so while out on the main floor, most of the books go for $4, here they are all priced individually.”
Wenzel says most books in this section are priced between six and $10. But he says the most expensive book this year is the Aegean Notebook.
“It is almost one of a kind treasure, it is one of 50 that was ever made in the world,” he said.
“So we were lucky enough to get one here at the book sale for $750.”
Wenzel says some of this collection is not even on display at the auction because they are so rare and valuable.
“They are locked in a secret location,” he said. “We have posters representing these books, people can get a sense of what the books are and if they like them, they call a phone number (and a person brings them that way) it’s out they look at it in person and if they like it, then they can buy it.”
The 10 day sale starts May 10th.
