Rotary Book Sale

Five-day used book sale

Each November, the Spencer Rotary Club hosts a five-day used book sale during which thousands of gently-used books and other items are organized and displayed for sale. In the months leading up to the event, Rotarians regularly meet to sort the books into genres such as Fiction, Non-fiction, Children’s, Romance, How-to, Religious, Western, Cookbooks, Old & Rare, and more. The sorted books are then arranged and displayed on tables at the Clay County Regional Events Center, where the sale is held each November.

2024 Book Sale

Nov 6–10

Regional Events Center

Hours, admission, and book prices

Admission and book prices vary over the course of our five-day event. The 2023 book sale marked our first price increase in 30 years! Current admission costs and book prices are as follows:

Wed (First Choice)

5:30 – 7:30 PM

Admission: $10/person
or $15/two people

  • Hardcover: $5
  • Paperback: $2
  • Refreshments

Thu & Fri (Day 2-3)

10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Admission: $2/person

  • Hardcover: $4
  • Paperback: $2
  • Children’s: $2

Sat (Day 4)

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

FREE Admission

  • Hardcover: $2
  • Paperback: $1
  • Children’s: FREE

Sun (Day 5)

12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

FREE Admission

  • Full Bag: $10
  • Full Cart: $30
  • Children’s: FREE

Donate your books

We begin accepting gently used book donations in the spring of each year and donations continue through October. You can drop off your books outside Spencer Municipal Utilities on the second Friday of each month from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM, weather permitting. Specific drop-off dates are posted here each spring when they become available.

We accept nearly everything – from new releases to the old, rare, and hard-to-find – all genres of fiction, non-fiction, religious, cookbooks, and even some other items such as movies, music, comics, puzzles, and games. We aim to offer our shoppers a quality selection of products, so only books in gently used condition (or better) are accepted, with the exception of our popular Old & Rare category.

Please note that we do not accept moldy books, encyclopedias, magazines, or textbooks.

2024 Drop-off Dates

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM @ SMU
520 2nd Ave E, Spencer

Fri, Mar  8
Fri, Apr 12
Fri, May 10
Fri, Jun 14
Fri, Jul 12
Fri, Aug  9
Fri, Sep 13
Fri, Oct 11
book-sale-2022-1
book-sale-2022-2
book-sale-2022-3
childrens-books
romance

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Rotary Book Sale?

Our book sale is held in early November each year and lasts for five days, beginning on a Wednesday evening with our First Choice Party (refreshments served) and ending Sunday afternoon. Specific dates are posted each year on this page (above) and our Calendar and Facebook Page.

How much do the books cost?

Book prices vary over the course of our five-day event. As of 2023, admission and book pricing are as follows:

Wed (First Choice)

Admission: $10/person
or $15/two people

  • Hardcover: $5
  • Paperback: $2
  • Refreshments

Thu & Fri (Day 2-3)

Admission: $2/person

  • Hardcover: $4
  • Paperback: $2
  • Children’s: $2

Sat (Day 4)

FREE Admission

  • Hardcover: $2
  • Paperback: $1
  • Children’s: FREE

Sun (Day 5)

FREE Admission

  • Full Bag: $10
  • Full Cart: $30
  • Children’s: FREE

Do you charge for admission?

We do charge admission Wednesday through Friday. As of 2023, the cost to attend Wednesday’s First Choice Party (opening night) is $10 per person (or $15 for two people) and includes complimentary refreshments. Admission drops to $2 per person for Thursday and Friday.

Saturday and Sunday are free to attend. On these weekend days, you will also enjoy book price cuts (Saturday), bulk bargains (Sunday), and all Children’s books are completely free (Saturday and Sunday).

When and where can I donate books?

We schedule monthly book drop-off dates leading up to the sale, usually beginning in March/April and ending in October. The drop-off location is Spencer Municipal Utilities at 520 2nd Ave E in Spencer. When we’re ready to begin accepting book donations, specific drop-off dates and times will be listed on this page (above), as well as added to our Calendar and shared on our Facebook Page.

Please note, we do not accept moldy books, encyclopedias, magazines, or textbooks.

What kinds of books do you accept / sell?

We accept and sell nearly everything – from new releases to the old, rare, and hard-to-find – all genres of fiction, non-fiction, religious, coolbooks, and even some other items such as movies, music, comics, puzzles, and games. We aim to offer our shoppers a quality selection of products, so only books in gently used condition (or better) are accepted, with the exception of our popular Old & Rare category.

Please note that we do not accept moldy books, encyclopedias, magazines, or textbooks.

What do you do with the money you raise?

As with all our fundraising efforts, the money we earn from the book sale is re-invested in our community through a variety of service projects, grants, and initiatives. You can see a list of accomplished projects and learn more about our club’s community impact here.