Looking for an intriguing fictional tale, a romance or perhaps a used textbook? Founders College, in conjunction with York University Bookstores, is holding its first-ever book sale next week, March 17 to 20, in the Assembly Hall, 152 Founders College, Keele campus.
There are thousands of sale books, hurt books, old textbooks, classics from personal libraries and even some York branded clothing, stationery and giftware.
The Master of Founders College, Mauro Buccheri, hopes to promote reading through the book sale, and at the same time, raise a little money to beautify the college.
"I'm a bibliophile. I love books and I want to communicate how important it is to read. The printed book plays a major role in our lives and contemporary society is really moving away from reading and turning to the Internet," says Buccheri. "We know that students tend to read less these days from elementary school on up through secondary school and into college and university, so the book sale is a way to encourage reading."
Encouraging the love of reading fits in with the college's mandate of Self, Culture and Society and building community, says Buccheri. In addition to promoting reading, the book sale provides the opportunity for students to mingle and meet new people.
Many of the books for sale have been donated by Fellows, students and faculty as well as the bookstore – everything from scholarly works and textbooks to novels, how-to-books and National Geographic magazines. "The range is quite wide," says Buccheri.
Founders hopes the book sale will raise a few thousand dollars. That money will go toward making the college and courtyard a more attractive place. Buccheri says he'd like to see a couple of benches outside the entrance and some new grass as well as benches inside for students waiting for classes to begin.
Plans are in the works to make the book sale an annual event.
"I really think it's important for us to promote reading," says Buccheri. "My adult children actually call me now and say, 'hey Dad, have you read this book?'."
The sale will run Monday, March 17 from 1 to 5pm, Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19 from 9am to 5pm, and Thursday, March 20 from 9am to noon.