It is that time of year again for the Greenville Butler County Library's annual used book sale and the librarians have been working overtime sorting, stacking and boxing thousands of volumes that will be up for public offering on April 7 and 8.

Librarian Burke McFerrin said the sale not only helps the library get rid of volumes it cannot use, but it also helps raise money for special projects throughout the year.

"This year we literally have thousands of books that have been donated to us and we can't use them all," she said. "These donations come in from estates, or from people moving or just cleaning out their shelves, and the volumes we can't use we offer for sale."

McFerrin said donated books are always welcome at the library, but not every book donated will be placed in the library's collection. She said the more popular titles are used to replace worn out favorites in the collection, but most donations are dedicated to the annual sale.

"The rest of the books are sorted by topic and genre and stored in boxes until the sale each April," McFerrin said.

She said the annual book sale is a fun way to interact with the community and has become a popular event each year.

"People will start lining up at the door as early as a couple of hours before the sale starts," McFerrin said. "But, there will be absolutely no peeking and no buying before the sale begins."

Money raised from the sale goes to support special projects throughout the year. In the past, funds from the sale have been used to purchase display cases, buy stackable tables for the meeting rooms, and have 50 years of National Geographic Magazines bound.

This year's sale offers a large variety of children's books, cook books, fiction and romance novels, self help and just about everything else known to man, McFerrin said.

A special preview sale will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 7. There will be a $5 admission charge to enter this sale, but those in attendance will have their choice of the volumes available.

A free admission sale will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, and the prices of the books get cheaper as the day progresses.

Between 8 a.m. and 9:50 a.m., paperback books will sell for 50 cents and hardbacks will go for $1. Between 10 a.m. and 11:50 a.m., paperbacks will go for 25 cents and hardbacks will sell for 50 cents. Between noon ant 1:50 p.m., paperbacks will sell for a dime, and hardbacks will go for 25 cents. And, from 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., all books will be sold for $1 per box full. McFerrin encourages everyone to bring their own bag or box to hold purchases.

"I don't care if they bring in a refrigerator box as long as they bring in someone to help carry it out," McFerrin said.