Shoppers scan the mysteries section at the 2024 Trinity Episcopal Church Used Book Sale. The church starting June 4 will accept donations of used books on Wednesdays through Aug. 27. This year’s sale is Oct. 8-11. (File Photo)

PARKERSBURG — Trinity Episcopal Church will begin accepting used books on June 4 for its annual sale in October.

The church at Fifth and Juliana streets will accept books beginning June 4, from 10:30-11:45 a.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 27. The book sale will be held Oct. 8-11.

The sale for more than 70 years has supported local church and community programs including food and scholarship programs.

“The success of the annual sale starts with the people in our community who round up their books and bring them to the church in June, July and August,” said Lynn Fury, book sale chairwoman. “We need the month of September to sort and store the donated books for the sale in October.”

Book sale volunteers will be at Trinity Hall to accept donations each Wednesday, except when other church events require the use of the hall.

Entry is through the red door off the alley behind the church, Fury said.

Donors are asked to first screen books for unsalable materials. Not accepted will be encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference or textbooks, magazines or pamphlets, outdated materials published before 2015 on fast-changing topics such as computers, psychology, travel, self-help, business or finance, small cookbooks except for standard-size cookbooks, compact discs, cassette or VHS tapes and musty, mildewed or tattered books.

Current books in good condition, hardcover or paperback, generally sell well and include a wide range of topics such as literary classics, history, mystery, science fiction and fantasy, romance, cooking, religion and children’s stories. Books that qualify as “gems” include West Virginia history, yearbooks, hardcover pictorial “coffee table” books or pre-1940 books.

In addition to books, the Trinity Episcopal Book Sale features a separate section of holiday gift items and homemade goods. Lunches that include hot dogs, soups and desserts are on sale during the event.

For more information and updates, go to the Trinity Episcopal Church Book Sale Facebook page.