There are countless quotes about friendship. You’ve probably heard a few: “If you have one true friend, you have more than your share.” Or “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” At the Knox County Public Library, we’re lucky to have many true friends — and they’ve helped shape our future for more than 50 years.

The Friends of the Library was founded in the early 1970s to support the then-new Lawson McGhee Library — our main branch located downtown, now 53 years old. Since those early days, they’ve shown up for us in a million ways: advocating with elected officials, sending kind notes and snacks to our staff, funding beloved programs and showing up at every event with enthusiasm and grace.

But if you’ve heard of the Friends, chances are it’s because of their famous Used Book Sales.

With more than 600 members, the Friends have spent decades collecting, sorting and selling donated books. For years, the annual sale was a labor-intensive affair powered by a dedicated (and largely retired) volunteer corps. It required schlepping hundreds of boxes of books, setting up tables, and working five days straight to sell them — grueling work, even with help from the UT athletic teams and fraternities.

Gloria Austin, Sara Ford, Jean Idell

For a long time, that hard work paid off. Proceeds from the sales funded community favorites like the Summer Reading Challenge, Santa visits, author events, and even the restoration of rare audio-visual recordings through the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound. They helped build Storybook Trails across the county and supported Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Most years, they contributed more than $50,000 to support library programs.

But times change. In recent years, all that effort yielded diminishing returns. Blame it on the rise of downloadable books, post-Covid shifts in behavior, or a softening market for $2 hardbacks — but the traditional used book sale model isn’t what it used to be. Friends groups across the country have experienced the same trend.

Our Friends, however, are nothing if not resilient.

Rather than hang up their tote bags, they made a bold pivot — moving into the online marketplace. Inspired by the success of the Blount County Friends group, they launched a digital storefront on eBay and began selling donated books to collectors and readers around the world.

And what a pivot it’s been.

Since February 2024, their online shop has quietly blossomed into a remarkable success. With over 1,200 listings — everything from classic literature to obscure nonfiction — the Friends are reaching new audiences and bringing in more support than ever, all while handling far fewer books.

Volunteer Alexis Hulse scanning books for online sales

Some sales have been downright astonishing. A leather-bound six-book set of Tarzan of the Apes fetched $695. A full encyclopedia set sold for $650. A “Wee Pudgy Board Book of Christmas Cookies” brought in $49.95 — a far cry from the $2 it might’ve earned at a traditional sale.

Then there was the illustrated edition of The Hobbit donated at the Karns Branch. It sold in just four days for $299.95. A Transformers pop-up book found a buyer for $89.95. Even Great Courses DVDs, which once struggled to sell for $5, now bring in up to $32.95 online — and often sell in bundles.

Behind this transformation is a growing team of dedicated volunteers. It started with just three people. Now, 22 volunteers are involved, taking on roles from scanning and researching to listing and shipping. Gloria Austin was the brave soul who stepped up to lead the charge and helped get the program off the ground. At 76 years old, she worked tirelessly to launch the new strategy.

Gloria Austin

Last month, she handed over the reins to Sheryl Hulse, the Friends’ coordinator and online sales manager, who is training cadres of volunteers to continue building the eBay store. “We’re always looking for people who want to learn something new and help the library in a unique way,” said Sheryl. “It’s rewarding work — you get to handle fascinating books and know you’re helping Knox County libraries thrive at the same time.” Gloria continues to help out from the comfort of her home where she processes trade paperbacks.

If you’re worried about missing the in-person sales — fear not! They still host regular used book sales every month in different library locations. You can still browse and pick up plenty of books for $2 or less, but those sales are not as unwieldy as the big annual sale. At the Rothrock Used Bookstore in Lawson McGhee Library, they offer $1 grab bags with multiple books. The great deals are still there for the taking. It’s the best of all worlds.

We love our Friends. They are not just advocates. They’re not just volunteers. They’re visionaries, innovators and tireless supporters of literacy, learning and community. And like all true friends, they’ve been with us through it all — evolving right alongside us and making sure the library’s story continues for generations to come.

Mary Pom Claiborne is assistant director for marketing, communications and development for Knox County Public Library.

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