VENTURA : Fund-Raiser Speaks Volumes for Library

The Ventura Friends of the Library will work a little alchemy this weekend and turn used books into new ones.

The event is the 28th annual used-book sale at the Buenaventura Mall, and organizers of the two-day event hope to raise $15,000. The money will be used to buy new books for the city’s three branch libraries.

“We all feel like this is a great cause,” said Barbara Swanson, president of the volunteer organization. Swanson and about two dozen other volunteers spend nearly every Friday morning sorting the week’s donated books and preparing for this yearly event.

Ventura County has donated a warehouse in Oxnard, where the books are kept and catalogued and people such as Phyllis Brzozowski donate their time to improve the city’s libraries.

“Most of us are retired, and this is our way of keeping busy and giving back to the community,” Brzozowski said.

Swanson said a devoted group of about 20 volunteers can be counted on for the tedious work.

On Saturday, four truckloads of books will be unloaded by about 50 volunteers in the parking lot in front of the mall’s J.C. Penney outlet.

In all, more than 20,000 donated books will be offered during the sale, which is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Also on Saturday, a book auction will be held at noon. Some first editions by famed authors such as Gertrude Stein and John Updike will be offered, while several out-of-print art books and railroad reference works will be offered.

Last year, the event raised only $9,000, which Swanson blamed on stifling Santa Ana winds.

“It was the hottest day of the year,” she said. But this year the weather is expected to be perfect, and Swanson hopes for a large turnout. For more information, call Swanson at 659-5103.