The aisles inside Post Horizon Booksellers were busier than usual this past weekend, as readers combed through stacks of discounted titles during a special Friends of the Library book sale that carried an air of finality.

The sale, held Sept. 5 and 6, offered most books for $2 apiece, with proceeds going to the Friends of the Library. Beyond the bargains, many visitors came to say goodbye to the city’s only used bookstore, which is preparing to close its downtown storefront after first opening in 2008.

For some, the news represents more than just the end of a business.

“I think it’s sad to see a bookstore close, especially in a place like Moose Jaw where there aren’t a lot of options to get books. It will kind of force people to go through much larger book chains like Amazon … or go out of their way to places like Regina …,” said Aidan Remple, a reference technician at the Moose Jaw Public Library who stopped by with his girlfriend on Sept. 6.

“I think it’s sad to see it go. I think having access to books and literacy is very important,” he added.

Remple, who moved to Moose Jaw less than a year ago, said he wished he had visited sooner.

“I’ve been meaning to come here for so long. As soon as I saw that they were closing down, I was like, ‘We really got to get out there and check it out, and at least support them as much as we can,’” he said. “Plus, I know that with Friends of the Library, proceeds go to the (Moose Jaw Public Library) so I appreciate that.”

The sense of loss was echoed by organizers with the Friends of the Library, who were invited to co-ordinate the sale as a way to help clear out the store’s remaining inventory.

“It has been going well and lots of people came in. We’re very grateful to Nelson (Reid) for giving us this opportunity to make a little more money than we usually do. It’s wonderful. If it helps him (as well), then that’s great,” said Anne Warriner, sales co-ordinator with Friends of the Library.

Most items on the shelves were marked down to $2, she added, with a few sets priced individually. Bargain hunters snapped up boxes of novels and non-fiction alike, with some shoppers stocking up their “winter reading — for a couple of years.”

Warriner noted that Friends of the Library has worked closely with Post Horizon for years, with the store often purchasing materials from the group’s regular sales.

“He’s been coming to our sales for years and helping us out through purchasing material, which then came into this store, so we’ve developed a relationship,” she said.

The end of Post Horizon’s storefront will leave Moose Jaw without a dedicated used bookstore, something Warriner called “a loss to the city.”

“I recognize that there are various agencies in the city that do book sales, including the Moose Jaw Humane Society, the hospital auxiliary, us, of course, but an actual bookstore that’s organized — we’re going to miss it,” she said.

Post Horizon Booksellers plans to continue operating by transitioning to online-only sales following the storefront’s closure, although no firm date has been set.

Meanwhile, proceeds from the sale will go back into the Moose Jaw Public Library. The non-profit group of volunteers provides funding for collections, programs, and equipment not covered by the library’s annual budget, working directly with the library board to identify priority needs.

The Friends of the Library will hold its next book sale at the Moose Jaw Public Library on Oct. 17 from 1 to 4:30 p.m., and on Oct. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. To learn more, visit MooseJawLibrary.ca/Friends-Of-The-Library.

Post Horizon Booksellers is located at 57 High Street West and can be reached at 306-693-4243 or at PostHorizonBooks.ca.

Aaron Walker

Reporter

Moose Jaw Express