The Friends of the Library book sale opened Saturday to record-breaking numbers.
Saturday's sale totals, $88,284.45, were the highest in the history of the book sale, which is in its 54th year, said Joan Curl, Friends of the Library president.
Last year, $83,499.05 worth of items was sold the first Saturday of the sale.
Curl attributed the increase in sales to great weather and a steady stream of customers.
Before the sale began at 9 a.m., there were 757 people waiting in line, she said.
Once the gate was lifted, the crowd entered the book house behind Dan Faeh, who played the Scottish National anthem on his bagpipes to kick off the five-day sale.
After the sale begins, the people are hard to count, Curl said.
"We always say it's either crowded or very crowded," she said Sunday.
People migrated to Gainesville from all over for the sale, both to buy and to volunteer.
One customer, Tom Butch, of Arroyo Grande, Calif., said he tries to make it to the sale twice a year.
"It's overwhelming," Butch said. "It's the neatest thing in the world."
The crowd filled the 15,000-square-foot warehouse and worked its way around book-filled tables. By 11 a.m., both the express and regular check-out lines stretched the length of the building.
Kids sat on the floor with books piled on their laps. Families huddled together, going over strategies to make sure they wouldn't miss anything.
Jennifer Crosby sorted through stacks of miniature Peter Rabbit books, seeking out the ones that would complete her child's collection.
One of the busier tables, the children's table, was already emptying around noon. Soon, a volunteer returned with a box lid full of books.
"Where's my Narnia maniacs?" she asked as she set the lid on the table. Less than 30 seconds later, it was empty.
While the warehouse quickly became standing-room-only, officers working crowd control said there were no problems.
