The Book Sale is the fundraising arm of the Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library. We raise money for the Friends through our May and October sales every year, to fund the Friends programs and grants.

The Friends' mission is to promote reading by

• Placing more books in more hands

• Awarding grants to libraries and community organizations

• Advocating for library funding, and

• Encouraging volunteerism

Come shop with us, volunteer with us, donate your used books to us; be part of our mission!

After meeting Book Sale expenses (maintenance on the warehouse building, utilities, and other expenses, almost all our labor is provided by volunteers), we give grants to the Tompkins County Public Library and to the the Finger Lakes Library System.

We also award grants to not-for-profit organizations in Tompkins County for reading-related materials, give educational grants to residents of Tompkins County pursuing library degrees, and contribute to continuing education programs for county and school library personnel.

Here are just a few of our many grant recipients:

• Advocacy Center of Tompkins County

• Challenge Industries, Life Options Program

• Rural Youth Services

• Family & Children’s Services

• Hospicare and Palliative Care Services

• Ithaca Housing Authority, Titus Towers

• Ithaca Public Education Initiative, Kids Discover the Trail!

• Southworth Library

• Tompkins Learning Partners (formerly Literacy Volunteers)

• Unity House of Cayuga County, Ithaca Day Hab Center

• Youth Outreach Undergraduates Reshaping Success

Check out some of the organizations that have received grants from the Friends