LITERATURE + LECTURES

The Friends of the Houston Public Library invite the community to the 32nd Annual Bargain Book Sale, Houston's largest community book sale, scheduled for April 23 thru April 25, 2010 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, 77010. More than 80,000 books will be available to the public at "bargain" prices, with proceeds benefiting the Houston Public Library.

A preview sale for members of the Friends of the Houston Public Library will be held on Friday, April 23 from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Non-members may purchase a tax-deductible membership at the door starting at $20.

Admission is free and open to the public Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday's Bag Day, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bag Day, now a tradition at the book sale, allows customers to fill a Fiesta Mart bag with books for just $10. Bags will be provided by Fiesta Mart.

From paperbacks to collector's finds, the Annual Bargain Book Sale has something for everyone. Children's books, cookbooks, gardening books, books on history, art, and science are but a few of the offerings. This sale also features a selection of adult and children's books in foreign languages, African-American studies, graphic novels, reference books including encyclopedias, and much more.

Regular adult books are priced at $2 for hardcover editions and $1 for paperbacks. Better and Best books are individually priced. Children's books are marked for sale from $1 to $2. In response to customer requests, a new Easy category for picture books has been added to the children's section. All Easy books, including award books and recent publications, will be priced at $1. MasterCard and Visa will be accepted for purchases.

Sponsors of the Friends of the Houston Public Library 32nd Annual Bargain Book Sale include The Greensheet, Fiesta Mart, and the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB).

The Friends of the Houston Public Library also need volunteers to help set-up the sale, tally books sold, guide attendees to the books they are looking for, and many other tasks. Bring along your friends, your book club members, and anyone and everyone who can spend a few hours at this traditional annual event. For more information on the 32nd Annual Bargain Book Sale or to fill out an interactive volunteer form visit www.friendsofhpl.org  or call 832-393-1387.

About Friends of the Houston Public Library
The Friends of the Houston Public Library is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1953. The Friends' mission is to provide funding for library programs and scholarships and to raise the library's visibility in the Greater Houston community. Since the inception of the Annual Bargain Book Sale, the Friends have raised more than $2 million dollars for the Houston Public Library.

About the Houston Public Library
The Houston Public Library (HPL) operates 35 neighborhood libraries, three HPL Express Library, a Central Library, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, the Parent Resource Library located in the Children's Museum of Houston, and the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research. Serving more than 4 million customers per year, HPL is committed to excellent customer service and equitable access to information and programs by providing library patrons with free use of a diverse collection of printed materials and electronic resources, Internet, laptop and computer use, and a variety of database and reference resources with live assistance online 24/7. For further information, visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832-393-1313.