Recycling center book sale largest yet

In an age of Kindles, e-books, iPhones and the ever-expanding Internet, who needs actual turn-the-pages books?
Everybody, according to David Prough.
“We don’t want books to disappear,” said Prough, membership coordinator for the SEK Recycling Center. “It’s hard to cuddle up in bed with a computer.”
For those looking for a good book with which to curl up on the couch, the SEK Recycling Center is the place to be over the next two days. This year’s annual Fall Book Sale, where books are sold for either a dime or a quarter, is the largest in the event’s five-year history, Prough said. At the first book sale in 2004, six to eight tables were needed to hold the inventory. When this fall’s sale opened for the center’s members on Thursday, more than 70 tables were filled end to end.
“This is certainly the most books we’ve ever had,” he said.
The book sale is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The SEK Recycling Center is located at 615 S. Joplin.
Prough said the books that are sold at the twice-annual event are donated from the community. This year’s stock was aided by the closing of Mostly Books, which donated much of its leftover inventory when it went out of business. Prough said the sale continues to grow in popularity each year, which is greatly attributed to the low prices.  Hardcover books cost 25 cents and paperback books cost 10 cents. So while the sale is not a big fundraiser for the center, it does serve as a literary shot in the arm for the community.
“We made $650 at our last sale,” said Chuck Delp, recycling center director. “That is a hell of a lot of books at a quarter and a dime apiece.”
Prough said money is not the primary goal of the sale.
“Our main concern is getting these books back out into circulation for people to read,” he said. “If we can get these books back to people at an affordable price, that’s important to us. If you think about the number of books that people have taken from here and are not back in the community, that’s what we’re most proud of.”
Not all of the books offered at the sale are sold. Most of the books that go unsold are recycled. On rare occasions, certain books are deemed “so good” that they are held over for the next sale. The subjects covered are vast, ranging from history and sports to travel and music. Several fiction titles are also available.
Lucy Bednekoff, an avid reader and regular customer at the book sale, praised the SEK Recycling Center for continuing to conduct the sale.
“I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “I am all for this and all for the recycling center. And the prices are so low. Even if the books are no good, it’s worth it because books these days are expensive.”

Black Saturday
On Nov. 28, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the SEK Recycling Center is teaming up with the National Autism Association of Kansas to get even more books out into the community during a special book sale. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., shoppers will be encouraged to fill $1 tote bags with as many books as they can hold. A portion of the proceeds will to the NAAK.