Largest Book Sale West of the Mississippi Adds Quieter Hours

story by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

The Annual Book Sale hosted by the Friends of the Library is innovating with a unique, quieter shopping period on Sunday, the final day of the sale. From 9 a.m. to noon, entry will be capped at 500 shoppers at a time. There will be no loud announcements made during these three hours. This special period is designed to cater to shoppers who require additional time due to mobility aids such as wheelchairs or canes, as well as those who wish to participate in the event but experience challenges with sensory sensitivity.
Affordable books and audiobooks, priced to draw thousands of seniors, are a key feature of the largest used book sale west of the Mississippi—the annual free two-day 45th Friends of the Metro Library Booksale 2025. Book lovers will line up early Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22, well before the 9 a.m. opening in the Oklahoma Expo Hall at the Oklahoma City State Fairgrounds. The sale closes at 5:30 p.m. each day.
“We have more books to sell than we have in the last three years, and we can’t wait to share them with the community. This event is such a great opportunity for folks to build a personal library and support the public library,” said Heather Zeoli, Metro Library System director of development.
Fitting the massive sale, organizers have exploded their website this year with extensive guidelines and tips on how to best make the shopping experience everything a reader wants. Please review this info at Book Sale – Oklahoma Metro Library Support.
The sale’s theme is “ Color Your World With Books, “ offering a diverse selection of paperback and hardcover books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and more for every demographic of customers. The books feature a wide range of subjects, including fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, biographies, medical, westerns, romance, children’s, encyclopedias, reference and foreign language books.
Thousands of big print books, with larger point-size fonts to make them easier to read if you have weak eyesight, are offered, along with thousands of audiobooks.
In the General Area, hardback books are two dollars, paperbacks are one dollar (children’s paperbacks are 50 cents), and magazines are three for a dollar. Price lists for items in the general section are available online at Book Sale—Oklahoma Metro Library Support. Collectors go for the Items in the Better Books Room, which vary in price, mostly under $5.
The sale is not just about books; it’s about supporting the Metropolitan Library System. In its 44-year run, the Friends have given more than $5 million in grants to the system, a testament to the community’s commitment to literacy and education.
All of this is the product of the tireless efforts of hundreds of volunteers each year. “The volunteer connection lasts through the whole year – we hope everyone will come and join us for new friends and new books,” Zeoli said.
Volunteering can give seniors a sense of purpose and fulfillment, an opportunity to socialize and connect with others, and a positive impact on their mental and physical health. It is an excellent opportunity for seniors to stay active and engaged with the community and contribute to positively impacting their peers’ lives.
With more than 800,000 books available, the sale becomes the largest bookstore in Oklahoma. Selective shoppers are advised to volunteer or join the nonprofit to ensure the best possible purchasing opportunity. Volunteers helping this year will be treated to the best possible selection opportunity available by having access to the sale on Thursday for a special volunteers-only session. Volunteer shifts are still open, as the group needs your help, so please visit Volunteering – Oklahoma Metro Library Support.
Customers shop for many reasons. Some try to select bestsellers, classics, collectibles and research books needed for school. Others seek to complete personal libraries in certain subjects, while parents strive to enhance their children’s reading exposure.
The sale is well established on the literary sale calendar for customers from all over Oklahoma, surrounding states and the region. The multi-day event attracts more than 10,000 book shoppers. Each year, a quick parking lot survey shows that many customers are from out of state and come to Oklahoma for the vast selection. In some ways, the diverse selection offers a snapshot of high-quality current American publishing with the bonus that everything is available for affordable purchase.
The Friends offer a year-round Amazon store where you can access their selection at Amazon.com. They also provide ‘Buy the Box’ sales where volunteers package and seal books by genre – buy a box of romance, mystery or children’s books – and enjoy the surprises inside.
The shopping at the sale is so robust that volunteers offer a dozen checkout points in each section. Yet so many customers arrive early, and a line forms for the first few hours each day.
The shopping is intense, almost competitive, as this is a once-a-year opportunity. Customers quickly buy the best music or audio CDs, gaming systems and video games, eReaders, DVDs and vinyl records.
Organizers ask shoppers to refrain from bringing wheeled carts so everyone can quickly move among the sections of tables laden with thousands of books. Tables include a broad cross-section of interest, including books by Oklahoma authors—to books about Oklahoma.
Many business and industry concerns are well represented when entities going out of business donate their libraries.
Teachers and Nonprofits are welcome to come from 6-7:30 p.m. on Sunday night to select sale leftovers for free to support their classrooms and missions. Please register in advance at www.supportmls.org/npt
Due to safety concerns, please do not bring children under 14 to this event on Sunday evening.
Again, volunteer shifts are still open as the group seeks help. To volunteer for the Book Sale, visit Volunteering – Oklahoma Metro Library Support.