Hundreds of Books Mean Thousands of Dollars for Edina Library

At the Edina Library’s twice-yearly used book sale Monday morning, the high stacks of donated paperbacks and hardcovers—novels and essays, histories and mysteries—were a window into the discard pile of the city's biggest bibliophiles.

Nuzzled together on collapsible press-board tables were the bestsellers of yesteryear ("The Help," "The Corrections," "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood"), faded political texts (Reagan's diaries, a well-thumbed Schlesinger volume, Al Franken smirking from identical brightly colored dust-jackets) and the heavy tomes of once canonical writers beginning their slow slide into obscurity (your Somerset Maughams, your Gore Vidals, your Herman Wouks).

The fall book sale, organized by Friends of the Edina Library, is expected to raise $7,000 to $10,000. 

The spring sale starts on April 26.