Concordia’s Used Book Fair this year runs October 7 and 8. | Photo: Concordia University
“It’s a three-way win,” says Hawke, a librarian at Counselling and Development’s Career Resource Centre, who has been moonlighting as chief organizer of the Concordia Used Book Fair since 2001.
“First, people who don’t like to throw out unwanted books have somewhere to take them. Second, every penny raised directly benefits students. Third, readers who want more bang for their buck have access to a wide selection of used books at great prices,” says Hawke.
All proceeds are split between the Concordia Used Book Fair Scholarship and the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy’s Student Emergency and Food Fund, which assists hundreds of students in need every year.
Last year’s event raised nearly $9000, bringing the total since the book fair’s inception in 1996, to over $125,000. The popular event attracts nearly 1000 people annually, including dealers from used book stores.
“For those who want to stock up on winter reading, we have lots of history, biography and sci-fi books,” says Hawke.
“People also find letters, bookmarks and some amazing inscriptions inside the books. I remember one, to a young man named Charles on his birthday, dated 1939. I always wonder whatever happened to Charles — did he go to war? Did he survive? Who knows what treasures people might stumble on going through our books.”
The book fair is the brainchild of former Concordia staffer Barbara Barclay, who still comes to help out every year and brings cookies for volunteers.
“We rely on volunteer support, with a core group who meet once a month to go through donations,” says Hawke. Over 70 volunteers help out at the book fair, organizing several hundred boxes of books.
Books that don’t sell are given away, many to organizations including Librarians Without Borders and the Books 2 Prisoners program.
The 17th Annual Concordia Used Book Fair runs October 7 and 8 in the atrium of the J.W. McConnell Building, 1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. All are welcome.
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