While UF students dealt with a virtual line for UF-Georgia game tickets this week, locals have been queuing up to hit the books this weekend.
The semi-annual Friends of the Library book sale starts this Saturday at 9 a.m., and readers are ready.
"I think we saw our first person in line on Monday," said Jim Dahlman, the Friends of the Library book house manager.
By Thursday night, more than 10 spots had been claimed. Lawn chairs were chained to the walkway railing alongside cardboard boxes with hand-written "Do Not Remove" signs taped to box tops.
The book sale is one of the largest in the Southeast, and large crowds are typical, Dahlman said.
Dahlman, who travels across the country to other large-scale book sales, said he estimates this one is about the sixth largest in the nation.
This year, early arrivals will be led into the sale by their very own pied piper.
Scottish bagpiper and UF student Dan Faeh will entertain the crowd at 8:30 a.m. Saturday then lead them through the entrance and into the book house, said Friends of the Library president Joan Curl.
"It's just something fun and different we wanted to have," Curl said. "He said he might show up in full regalia."
This kind of lighthearted and fun atmosphere is what defines every sale, she said. The atmosphere, as well as an assortment of over 400,000 items up for grabs, is what draws thousands to the five-day mega-sale.
This year, the assortment of books includes everything from how-to books on martial arts or sailing to vinyl records to rare collector's items, Curl said. Everything is priced about a third less than retail, she said.
The oldest and most expensive item - $500 - is a 1768 leather-bound book, "A Treatise on the Deluge," by Alexander Catcott, Dahlman said.
Other collector's items include a 1950 signed first edition of "Chooky" by John Faulkner and "The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics" by editor Alan Aldridge, according to the Friends of the Library Web site.
Money raised from the sale goes back to the Alachua County Library District, Curl said, where it is used to pay for literacy projects, scholarships and visits from authors.
Curl suggested that anyone trying to beat the crowds during the sale's opening weekend bring bags and boxes to carry items to make the checkout process faster.
She advised that customers should wear comfortable shoes and bring more money than they think they'll spend.
Customers should take the time to browse, and most importantly, come in with an open mind, she said.
"The atmosphere is uplifting and exciting," she said. "It's about having a good time."
