Labor Day Book Sale 2011

The Greenbelt Elementary PTA runs a used book sale every year as part of the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival, scheduled for Friday, September 2 through Monday, September 5, 2011. We will have more than 20,000 books for sale, all donated during the month of August by members of the community.

Want to volunteer to help out with this massive undertaking? Sign up online on our Volunteer Spot page.

Labor Day book sale Committee Chair: Susan Stewart, gesbooksale@gmail.com or 301-474-0390.

For book donors:

Information flyer.

We have no place to store books before August 1, so please keep your books until then. The Friends of the Greenbelt Public Library accept donated books throughout the year; bring the books to the library, or ask at the library for more information if you have a large donation.

Please bring the books to the Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket in Roosevelt Center during the month of August. We can pick up large donations; call 301-474-0390. Do not bring the books to the school without calling first, as a PTA member must meet you there. Do not ask the school staff for help; their job is getting the school ready for classes. Donations of books are tax-deductible; please ask for a receipt if you believe your donation is worth more than $250.

For Shoppers:

Come to the Greenbelt Labor Day Festival on Labor Day weekend.

Opening times:

Friday, Sept 3, 6 pm to 10 pm.
Saturday, Sept 4, 9:30 am to 9:30 pm.
Sunday, Sept 5, Noon to 9:30 pm.
Monday, Sept 6, 11 am to 6 pm.

We might close due to rain.

On Friday, during setup, we have a strictly enforced "Do Not Touch the Books!" policy until 5:45 pm. You are allowed to look, but are asked to keep out of the way of the volunteers who are setting up. If everything is set up on time, you can begin to collect books at 5:45 pm, and pay for them starting at 6:00 pm.

Prices for Opening Night, Friday, Sept 2 and Saturday, Sept 3:
$2.00 Hardcover, DVDs, CDs
$1.00 Paperback or Other (tapes, videos, puzzles, etc.)
Magazines 10 for $1.00 or $2.00/box

Prices for Sunday, Sept 4:
Sunday = dollar sale! Everything is a dollar!
Magazines are 10 for $1.00.

The books are sorted into boxes, in the following categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Children's, Media (DVDs, CDs, VHS, audio tapes, magazines, records, games & puzzles), Cooking, Crafts & DIY, and the Treasure Trove (older/valuable books).

No "deals" or "discounts" on Friday through Sunday. Sales tax included in the prices. On Monday, donations will be accepted at buyers' discretion for all books. Cleanup and recycling starts at 4 pm on Monday. Please come to get books before 4 pm; you will not be allowed to look for books during the cleanup.

Any additional donations are gratefully accepted. The PTA supports a wide range of activities in the school, and donations are tax-deductible. Please tell the cashiers if you are making an additional donation, so that we do not pay sales tax on it.

The Festival:

The Greenbelt Labor Day Festival is the largest event of its kind in Maryland, with 20,000 people in attendance. There are rides, entertainment, food, art and photo shows, children's events and sports. To get to the festival, park at Eleanor Roosevelt High School on Greenbelt Road, and take the free festival shuttle, or a 10-minute walk across the pedestrian bridge over the B-W parkway and down Gardenway to the city center.

For PTA Members:

2008 was record smashing, with gross profits at approximately $9000!

2007 had net profits exceeding $5000! Thank you to all the many volunteers who worked very hard to achieve this - and to the wider community for donating more than 23,000 books, and for buying them!

In 2006 we made $4180.20, despite the torrential rain. 
In 2005 we made a record-breaking net profit of $4,720.98.

The books are collected during the month of August, ending the Wednesday before Labor Day.  The co-op supermarket has a box where books can be left during this time.

Volunteers are needed to:

- Collect the books from the co-op each day and take them to the school

- Sort the books at the school

- Transport the books from the school to the booth

- Sell the books during the festival weekend (usually in 2-hour shifts)

If you would like to volunteer at this or any other event, please contact Susan Stewart at gesbooksale@gmail.com or 301-474-0390, or sign up online on our Volunteer Spot page.