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LEWISTON, Idaho — The Friends of the Lewiston City Library are wrapping up their annual Holiday Book Sale this weekend, giving shoppers one last chance to browse over a thousand titles while supporting local library programs.
The sale opened Thursday, with doors set to reopen Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Organizers say this year’s event features no shortage of popular genres.
“People love mystery and suspense and westerns and history,” said Marilyn Feeney, president of the Friends of the Lewiston City Library. “And then the big draw is our classic and vintage section.”
Shelves inside the library are filled with adult fiction and nonfiction, children’s books, young adult titles, cookbooks, audiobooks and DVDs. Instead of set prices, shoppers donate what they can, with all proceeds supporting library programming, including summer reading and youth activities.
“All of the funds that we generate go to support library programs such as summer reading, youth activities, etc.,” Feeney said.
The sale comes at a time when library funding has faced uncertainty. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency that manages about $250 million in grants nationwide. Lewiston’s library has previously used IMLS funds for services such as materials for the visually impaired and its Bookmobile.
“It makes a big difference in what we can afford to offer to the public,” Library Director Lynn Johnson said.
Feeney said fundraisers like the Holiday Book Sale are vital for keeping community programs alive.
“I can’t imagine a city without a library,” she said. “It’s a wonderful place for the community to get together.”
Organizers say turnout has been strong and they hope Sunday’s weather won’t deter final-day shoppers.
“It has been going very well,” Feeney said. “People should come down.”
The final day of the Lewiston Library Holiday Book Sale runs Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Lewiston City Library.
