Facebook photo The Friends of the Van Pelt and Opie Library are holding its Annual Book sale today.

HOUGHTON — The Friends of the Michigan Tech Library are hosting its Annual Book Sale, which will be open to the general public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom A on the Michigan Tech campus.

Proceeds from the sale will go directly to the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library for additional items outside of their allocated budget, such as popular books and electronics.

Thursday’s public book sale comes after a private event on Wednesday where Michigan Tech students and members of Friends of the Michigan Tech Library could be the first to purchase books. Memberships could be purchased for $20 at the door.

According to Board Chairman of Friends of the Michigan Tech Library, Amy Hughes, the Friends have received the most donations they have seen.

“We’ve probably have had more books this time then we ever had,” she said. “We’ve had a great outpouring of donations.”

Hughes says donations for the book sale come from former or retired faculty, local estates and the general public. The Friends have been working with the Michigan Tech Library for over 25 years and this book sale aims to get more people involved.

“I often have had people contact me, saying, ‘hey, I’ve got some books, could you guys use them?'” she said. “We help pick up books or we tell people they can drop them off at the loading dock.”

Hughes added that there is a vestibule in the Van Pelt and Opie Library where donors can drop off books.

The public sale today will feature a promotion in the last hour, from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. Those at the sale can buy a brown paper bag for $5 and have the opportunity to fill it with as many books as they can.

Students and volunteers are helping cashier the event, setting it up and tearing it down. Hughes acknowledges that none of this can be possible without their help and that this event is from the community, for the community.

“Facilities help move the books from the library where we store them to the union building,” she said. “Our students and all our volunteers are just a huge help.”