Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.
– Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Our Sincere Thanks
This sale owes its success to the generous people who donate their gently used books and other materials each year. This is the new 3 Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle – at its best.
People donate and return to buy, proof that reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic are still popular pursuits.
Building Community Book by Book
As with any sale, not all the items are sold. Our volunteers return the week after the sale to select books suited to the needs of clients and customers across 20+ groups and organizations. Most of these groups are local, but we have provided books to other areas of Saskatchewan and even overseas.
Not everyone on our community list can accommodate donations every year, but new groups step in. Our largest donation over the past few years has been to The Book Project, Saskatchewan Jails. We provided more than 20,000 items in 2022 and will continue to do so as needed.
And that’s just the beginning. Below is a list of charities and other organizations to which we have redistributed materials over the years. The list changes each year as the groups' needs evolve.
How our volunteers continue to spread the joy of reading after the Sale.
Sharon, one of our volunteers, was loading a couple of boxes of unsold books into her car to take to Humboldt, a community that she and her four children call home. Just as she finished, another volunteer pulled up to return a load of books that an organization had declined due to a lack of display space. Together, they transferred the lot to Sharon’s car and off she went. The books soon graced the shelves of Humboldt’s Good Neighbour Store. Volunteers there were very happy to receive them.
The Good Neighbour Store is a community store that sells donated items. One paid manager and approximately 160 volunteers sort, display, and sell the items. Anything they can’t sell is donated to Value Village in Saskatoon. The profit is dispersed to service groups, organizations, hospitals, and care homes in the area. In 25+ years of operation, the store has given back over $3,153,000.00. Check out their
success story.
The Big Book Sale requires tremendous effort from more than 160 volunteers, most of whom are seniors. When the last donation is out the door, the last table stowed, and the last cardboard box flattened, the volunteers are too exhausted to appreciate what they have accomplished. They want a hot bath, to put up their feet, and relax with – you guessed it – a good book!
Our Sponsors
Fashion Magazine
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Books are everywhere; and always the same sense of adventure fills us. Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack.
– Virginia Woolf in Street Haunting
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Bookmarks
One Last Chapter…
Even after the sale and our donations to local charities, there are always books still waiting for a home. Rather than recycling these books, we’re inviting the community to help give them a final chance to be enjoyed.
Free Books — one afternoon only
Monday, June 22, 2026
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (time to be confirmed)
Please bring your own bags.
By taking a few books home, you’re helping reduce volunteer cleanup hours and extend their lifespan.
Send us a Message
Have a question? We’re here to help. Send us a message, and we’ll be in touch.
