Friends of the Library bookshop to reopen February 15

Book lovers rejoice: the Friends of the Library Bookshop in downtown Asheboro will hold its Grand Reopening at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 15, after being closed for more than a year-and-a-half due to renovation of the neighboring Sunset Theatre.

The bookshop, located at 226 Sunset Avenue, sells used books, DVDs and other items donated by community members or withdrawn from library collections. All proceeds go to supplement Randolph County Public Library book budgets.

“Many people have been anxious to know when we would be open again and keep telling us how much they have missed the opportunity to come and browse and see what new treasures they can find, and we are excited that the day has finally arrived,” says Janet Jones, chair of the Friends of the Library Bookshop Committee.

The shop, entirely operated by Friends volunteers, will resume its former hours, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and will resume accepting donations of books and DVDs in good condition (the shop does not accept encyclopedias, Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, textbooks older than 10 years and VHS videotapes).

A preview for Friends of the Library members will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 13. Light refreshments will be served.

Friends members only will be admitted to the preview, but it’s easy to join: just visit www.tinyurl.com/rcfriends, print and fill out the form provided, and mail or bring it to the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC 27203. Membership forms also are available at the library.

New memberships will be accepted at the door during the bookshop preview event.

The bookshop had become a hugely successful fixture in downtown Asheboro when it closed in July 2012 as the Sunset renovation got underway. The theatre plan called for dressing rooms to extend into the bookshop’s receiving and sorting area.

The City of Asheboro installed a freight elevator in the bookshop to that upstairs space could be used, and carried out other renovations to the building.