By Abrar Al-Heeti
Where in the Champaign-Urbana area can families get inexpensive — or sometimes free — copies of recently published children’s books? (No, this is not a trick question.)
Meet the Center for Children’s Books, located at the University of Illinois’ Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Although it serves mostly as an academic research library aimed toward faculty and students, it does offer certain services that parents and children can benefit from:
- The annual book sale, typically held in February (more below), which is a great way to stock your family’s library at a significantly low price point.
- Seasonal galley giveaways, another great way to stock your family’s library
- The Guide Book to Gift Books, a list created annually help parents or others when they want to purchase high-quality, age-appropriate books for kids. Generally released right before the holidays, this list isn’t limited to holiday giving and can be used year-round.
The 2015 book sale will take place Feb. 16 through 18 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Shoppers will find quite a range, from board books to young adult books. Paperbacks will be priced at around $1-2 and hardcovers at around $5. Admission is free.
There will also be a pre-sale on Feb. 15 from 1-4 p.m. Registration via email or phone is required for the pre-sale, and tickets for admission are $20.
Michelle Biwer, graduate assistant at the Center for Children’s Books and graduate student in library and information science, said the pre-sale “is generally targeted toward teachers and librarians who are trying to stock up for a library, (whereas) the free admission book sale is probably more appropriate for the average family who’s just buying a few things.”
The books at the sale are brand-new duplicate copies of books sent by publishers for review. The sale also includes books that were donations from faculty, in almost-new condition.
Biwer said parents and their children are welcome to come check out the collection. It is unique in the sense that all books range in age from brand new up to 5 to 7 years old, making the center a good resource for the newest publications. And, she added, the cheap books from the sale are great for families, teachers and librarians alike.
The book pre-sale will be held in the east entrance foyer and room 126 of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, located at 501 E. Daniel St., and the free admission sale will be downstairs where the center is located. Proceeds from the sale will go toward running the center.