Book lovers will find the Rowan Public Library Headquarters even more enticing than usual this weekend, because there will be thousands of books available for sale.

The annual Friends of the Rowan Public Library book sale is this Friday through Monday, and the funds raised will be funneled back in to the library’s educational programs.

Patricia Beck, a member of Friends of the Rowan Public Library, said that since the county deems libraries and parks and recreation as non-essential, so the organization tries to “pick up some of the slack.”

“This is one of the ways we make our money,” she added.

Each year there are two book sales at the Rowan Public Library – this one, and one where the library sells discarded books.

Beck said she prefers the Friends of Rowan Public Library Sale, because all the books are donated by members of the community.

“You get a better range of books,” she said. “Some of these books look like they’ve never been read – they’ve never been opened.”

Books vary in style and genre from fiction, non-fiction, history, paperback, children’s, tapes, videos and CDs.

“We’re still getting some,” she said.

The sale is manned by 15 to 20 volunteers who are members of Friends of the Rowan Public Library organization.

Friday night’s sale is open to members of Friends of the Rowan Public Library only, and will be held from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Nonmembers can become members at the door, by paying the annual membership fee of $10.

The public sale begins Saturday and runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. On Sunday, the sale will run from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., and all books will be half-price. Monday, customers can fill a small bag for $2 and a large back for $4 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Books can be purchased using cash, check debit or credit.

The Rowan Public Library Headquarters is located at 201 W. Fisher St. in Salisbury.