A Record-Breaking Weekend: Inside the Spring 2026 Book Sale
If you stopped by the Duncan Library the last week of April, you probably felt it right away: that unmistakable hum of excitement that only a truly special book sale can generate. What you may not have realized at the time is that you were part of something historic.
In just four days (technically a whirlwind 21 hours of sales) the Friends of Duncan Library (FODL) reached an extraordinary milestone: $21,216 in total book sales, making this our most successful book sale ever.
The momentum began on Thursday evening with our Members-Only Night, where devoted Friends turned out in force, generating an impressive $8,106 in just four hours. As the doors opened to the public on Friday and Saturday, the energy didn’t let up. With a 50% educator discount in place, those two days brought in a combined $10,586, as teachers, families, and avid readers browsed tables stacked high with thousands of donated books. Sunday’s ever-popular $10 Bag Sale wrapped things up with $2,254 in sales and plenty of full bags heading out the door. Of course, the numbers tell only part of the story.
One of the most meaningful aspects of this sale was its impact on educators and community organizations. Through the FODL educator discount program, 16 educators from local schools to universities from across the country were able to take home nearly $500 worth of books. Classrooms and students from places like Fairfax County, Alexandria City, Arlington, and beyond will benefit from those pages in the months ahead.
Similarly, our commitment to community access continued with boxes of books donated to local nonprofits and community organizations including InspireLit, the Alexandria Sheriff’s office, and the YMCA of Alexandria. These books will continue their journey, reaching new readers in new settings.
Behind the scenes, the scale of this effort was just as remarkable. Volunteers prepared an incredible 735 boxes of books, carefully sorting through thousands of donated materials ranging from the latest hardcover literary fiction, children's picture books, and nonfiction to music scores, puzzles, and cookbooks. By the end of the sale, more than 1,000 individual transactions had taken place, each one a small moment of connection between a reader and a book.
And then, just as quickly as it all comes together, the sale winds down.
On Sunday afternoon, the final chapter unfolds. A reseller arrives to collect the remaining books, loading them into giant containers for their next life in the world of online sales. Meanwhile, volunteers shift gears from selling to resetting as the quiet work of preparing for the fall sale begins again.
This spring’s record-breaking total surpasses our previous high of $18,567 set in Fall 2025, continuing a steady climb that reflects both growing community engagement with the FODL book sale and the dedication of our volunteers.
Every donated book, every sorted box, every hour spent staffing the sale tables adds up to something bigger than numbers alone. It’s a shared effort that keeps the Duncan Library thriving and ensures that stories continue to circulate, inspire, and connect us all.
A busy checkout line.
Very happy bag sale shoppers!
Leftover books on their way to be sorted for online sales.