Upcoming Events
Friends of the Summit County Library sets up an autumn used book sale
The Friends of the Summit County Library’s semi-annual used book sale will reach a landmark next week.
The fundraiser, which will run Thursday, Nov. 13, through Saturday, Nov. 15, will be the last sale at the Kimball Junction Branch’s current location, 1885 W. Ute Blvd., said Library Director Dan Compton.
“That’s because of the library’s pending move to the Skullcandy building,” he said.
But that doesn’t mean this season’s sale will lack the volume of volumes that has been associated with the sale over the years, said Sue Noblock, Friends of the Summit County Library president.
“We’ll have our normal, vast selection of books, and we decided to simplify our pricing to make it easier for everybody,” she said. “Children’s books are two for $1, and it doesn’t matter if they are paperback or hardcover. If it’s a kids book in the kids’ section, it’s $1.”
Adult and young adult paperbacks will go for $1, and hardcovers will be $2, according to Noblock.
“We also have DVDs and CDs, and those will be $1, and we have games that will sell for $2,” she said. “And collections of book series will sell for $10.”
Booklovers can purchase a new Friends of the Summit County Library bag for $15 and fill it for free, Niblock said.
“Our new bags are really large, so that’s a good deal,” she said. “Or you can bring your previously purchased Friends of the Summit County Library bag and fill it for $15.”
Book sale hours on Thursday run from 4-7 p.m., Niblock said.
“That’s a sneak preview for Friends of the Summit County Library members,” she said. “But really anyone can show up because we’ll have a table set up where people can purchase memberships for $10 and then get into the sale. Also, members can renew their memberships at that time as well.”
The book sale will then open to the general public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and in addition to the individual books, the sale will include mystery boxes, Niblock said.
“These are boxes that are the size of a ream of paper, more or less, and we fill these boxes with books that have been gift wrapped,” she said. “So you don’t know what you’re getting.”
Pippi, the Summit County Library's golden doodle, will be on hand on Saturday, Nov. 15, during the Friends of the Summit County Library's used book sale at the Kimball Junction Branch. The sale runs Nov. 13 to Nov. 15, and funds raised will benefit library programming.
Still, the genres of the books — young adult, science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction and more — will be written on the boxes, Compton said.
“There is a wide variety at this sale, and it’s all across the board,” he said. “I haven’t seen all the mystery boxes, so I don’t know how many they have, but as far as the sale goes, there will be a huge variety.”
Mystery box prices are set at $3, $5 and $8, Niblock said.
“We did this a year ago, and it’s a great way to buy gifts for the holiday,” she said.
Another new attraction to the book sale festivities is Pippi, the Summit County Kimball Junction reading golden doodle.
“She will make an appearance from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday,” Niblock said. “So kids and adults who want to meet her can do so.”
Pippi’s job at the library is to sit and listen as children read her books, which helps kids with their reading in an unstressful environment, Niblock said.
“So if any kids want to grab a book and read to her while their parents are looking at the tables, they can,” she said.
All proceeds from the book sale will benefit programming at all of the Summit County Library branches in Coalville, Kamas Valley and Kimball Junction, Compton said.
“One of the programs was this summer’s One Book, One Community program,” he said. “John Valient, who wrote the book ‘Fireweather,’ came out to speak with the community in July, and Friends of the Summit County Library helped pay for him to come out.”
Another book-sale beneficiary is Great Decisions, one of the United State’s largest discussion programs on world affairs, facilitated by the Foreign Policy Association, Compton said.
“The program will start up again at the end of January, beginning of February, and Friends are paying for the manuals,” he said.
Friends of the Summit County Library will also underwrite a free presentation of Kim A. Snyder’s 2025 Sundance Film Festival documentary, “The Librarians,” which will screen in partnership with Park City Film on Nov. 19 at the Jim Santy Auditorium, Compton said.
“So, the book sale helps Friends of the Summit County Library pay for things like that,” he said.
Most of the books offered in the sale are donations, Compton said.
“There may also be books that we already have in the library, so we’ll put them in the sale,” he said.
Friends of the Summit County Library prepares for the November used book sale in the summer, according to Niblock.
“We have a book-sale committee and a marketing committee who set a date and start figuring things out.” she said. “We also have volunteers who have been sorting the books for the past several months.”
One of those volunteer groups is the Young Men’s Service League, a nonprofit of moms and teenage sons, Niblock said.
“They help us sort our books in the basement, and they will wrap the books for the mystery boxes,” she said. “They also have been helping us load books for recycling and helping us load books we donate to underserved communities.”
Niblock thanked Friends of the Summit County Library Board Member Heather Flynn for getting the organization involved.
“(She) had the idea to reach out to them and who has orchestrated their volunteer engagement with us,” Niblock said.
Since next week’s book sale will be the last in the current Kimball Junction Branch location, Compton wanted to thank the community for all of the book donations.
“We have loved the support of the community members, and we’ll gladly accept donations until up to the sale,” he said. “After that, we’re going to have to refer donations to different locations in the community, but we really wanted to let everyone know how much we appreciate the support.”
We are underwriting a screening of the film "The Librarians" which premiered at Sundance 2025 on Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Jim Santy auditorium in partnership with Park City Film.
Get your free tickets here. There will be a post panel discussion.
Thousands of donated books are up for grabs for great bargains during the Friends of the Summit County Library’s annual Used Book Sale that runs June 5-7 in the Kimball Junction Branch auditorium.
Thursday’s hours are 4-7 p.m., and that night is specifically for Friends of the Summit County Library members, said Friends President Sue Niblock.
“Anyone can come on Thursday and sign up to become a member to get in,” she said. “We’ll have volunteers with laptops on Thursday for people to sign up on the spot.”
Memberships are $10 for a whole year, according to Niblock.
“For that you get early access to our book sales and receive invitations to the One Book, One Community event for the summer,” she said. “People can also sign up for memberships online. We have a website, folscut.org, that has a membership tab. We also have a Facebook page, an Instagram page and they also contain info about signing up online.”
The book sale runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and features books of all kinds, Niblock said.
“Prices range from 25 cents for children’s paperbacks to $2 for hardback fiction for adults,” she said. “In addition to books, we’ll have DVDs and audio books for sale as well.”
Friends of the Summit County Library will also continue the sale’s tote-bag program, where people will be able to buy a new tote bag for $15 and fill it as much as they can for $5, according to Compton.
“If you have an older bag, you can bring it and fill it for $15,” he said.
The funds raised will benefit the Kimball Junction, Kamas Valley and Coalville branches of the Summit County Library through Friends of the Summit County Library, Niblock said.
“We are a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the three branches of the Summit County Library and what (Library Director) Dan Compton needs,” she said.
That support includes partnering with the Friends of the Park City Library to fund the One Book, One Community presentation that brings a best-selling author to town for a presentation and book signing, said Compton.
“This summer we have John Valliant, author of ‘Fire Weather,’ who will come speak to the community at the end of July,” he said. “It’s a benefit to hear from the author and have meaningful discussions about the subject matter of the book. Wildfires are very relevant to this community, and John’s visit would not be possible without a very generous support of The Friends of the Summit County Library and Friends of the Park City Library.”
Other programs helped by Friends of the Summit County Library include Great Decisions, an eight-week foreign-policy discussion group that is open to the community, as well as the Human Library Program, Compton said.
“This is where we have members of the community who have been marginalized or faced discrimination in some way, and the public can come and check them out for a discussion,” he said. “Instead of getting a book, you’re scheduling a (conversation) with a person in a meaningful way where you can talk with them in a safe environment and hopefully gain a better understanding about someone who is different than you. And that has been a huge success.”
Friends of the Summit County Library also helps with purchasing new equipment, Compton said.
“Last year, we needed to install two new phone booths at the Kimball Junction branch, and those are used regularly now by people who need quiet spaces for Zoom meetings and things like that,” he said. “And in Coalville, another creative program is our monarch butterfly waystation.”
Still, the Summit County Library has an annual budget, Compton said.
“It’s fantastic to have that, but we can go above and beyond with the support of the Friends,” he said.
The Utah State Library Division recently awarded Summit County Library with its Quality Library Status, one of its top recognitions, according to Compton.
“I feel we were able to get that because of the support of the Friends of the Summit County LIbrary,” he said.
Most of the books on the racks for the used book sale are donations, according to Niblock.
“People can still drop off books at our Kimball Junction branch,” she said.
Friends of the Library and Summit County Library staff examine every donated book, Niblock said.
“We sometimes receive books that are really damaged, so we take the time to pull them apart and take them to Recycle Utah,” she said.
Some of these books are already available at the library, Compton said.
“We have removed them from our collection because we have too many copies or there is just a lack of interest,” he said.
The books that don’t get sold and are in good shape are sent to the Casa Hogar de Maria Inmaculada orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, Niblock said.
“We have contacts who come and pick up the leftover books for transport to Tijuana,” she said. “In April 2025 we sent a bunch of donated books to the kids there to enjoy.”
Other leftover books are donated to the Utah Wing of Santa’s Angel Flight West, which takes toys, games, books and clothing to various community groups in the state.
“(This) is something the Friends of the Library for Summit County has been contributing to for at least five years,” Niblock said. “So, we make every effort to recirculate all of the donated books in the community, and those that don’t aren’t just being thrown away.”
In addition to book donations, Friends of the Summit County Library is currently seeking volunteers to help with the sale, Niblock said.
“We are pretty staffed for Thursday, but we do need volunteers for Friday and Saturday,” she said.
Volunteers can sign up by visiting tinyurl.com/bdemca9f or by just showing up at the door, Niblock said.
“If there is anybody out there who wants an easy way to give back to the community, they can sign up and we’ll show them what we need,” she said.
Friends of the Summit County Library Used Book Sale
When: 4-7 p.m., Thursday, June 5; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7
Where: Summit County Library, Kimball Junction Branch, 1885 W. Ute Blvd.
Summit County Library Director Dan Compton has details on this year's One Book One Community read and President of the Friends of the Summit County Libraries Sue Niblock has details on this month's used book sale which will run June 5 through June 7.
Friends of Summit County Library, Utah
We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help with our upcoming library used book sale June 5-7! This is a great opportunity to support your local library, meet fellow book lovers, and lend a hand in organizing one of the biggest fundraising events for the Friends of the Library that we hold each year at our Kimball Junction branch. Volunteers help to set up and take down book displays, assist customers in finding books, manage cash sales, and keep the sale racks tidy. Whether you can spare a few hours or even a few shifts, your time and energy will make a big difference.
Thank you!
Just sign up at this link below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054FA8AE2FA5F5CE9-56479683-folbook#/
Please also consider donating your gently used books to the library. We are especially in need of contemporary fiction (including fantasy, romantasy, and romance), non-fiction, young adult, and children’s books. You can drop off your books at the Kimball Junction branch front desk. We appreciate your support and love for our library programs!
Follow us on social media for all of the latest exciting news and updates:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fol_summit_utah/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheSummitCountyLibraryUtah/
Friends of the Summit County Library preview used book sale
Summit County Friends of the Library board member Sue Niblock and County Librarian Dan Compton share details about the upcoming used book sale happening Sept. 19-21 at the Kimball Junction branch.
Meet & Greet
Friends of the Summit County Library is joining Park City Friends of the Library for an author’s Meet and Greet with Heather Hansman of Powder Days at the Park City Library.
This event is only for current members of either the Friends of the Park City Library or Friends of the Summit County Library. Become a member today by clicking on the Membership tab. Space is limited and will go fast. Light refreshments will be provided.