Father Paul Hicks speaks to the shoppers at the 2022 Trinity Episcopal Church Book Sale. Organizers are accepting donations for the sale to be held Oct. 4-7. (File Photo)

PARKERSBURG — Organizers of the next Trinity Episcopal Church used book sale scheduled for Oct. 4-7 have already started planning and accepting donations.

The book sale has been a tradition in Parkersburg for more than 70 years and is held at the church, 430 Juliana St.

Books may be delivered to the church from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays when sale volunteers will be present to accept and sort the volumes.

“Over the years, our area supporters have been marvelous about sharing with us the books they’ve read and loved. While we look forward to receiving a fresh supply of used books for the sale, we need to respect the church’s ongoing programs,” Lynn Fury, book sale chairperson, said. “Designating Wednesdays as book donation day helps us coordinate all our activities.”

In 2022, the event included from 8,000 to 10,000 donated books. Unfortunately, some had to be discarded before reaching the shelves, she said.

“This year, we hope to enlist the aid of our donors to pre-screen,” Fury said.

Guidelines for donors are:

* No mildewed boxes or books

* No cassette or VHS tapes

* No magazines except cooking-related

* No Readers Digest condensed books

* No outdated books before 2010, such as reference, medical, self-help or travel

* No dictionaries or textbooks

“Even after making these few exclusions, we will still offer a vast array of books to satisfy book lovers and bargain hunters,” Fury said. “Each year, we receive paper and hardback volumes in categories such as children’s books, home-school books, art, biographies, cookbooks, classics, fiction, finance, health, histories, mysteries, novels, science fiction and religion.”

Returning popular features include the sale of lunch and baked goods, crafts and gifts for those in the spirit for holiday shopping.

Proceeds from the book sale support a variety of church and community programs, including food assistance to scholarships.

“The funds are split between outreach programs in the community and programs within the church,” Fury said. “The community support ranges from the creative arts to child advocacy.”