Thousands and thousands of books filled the Access Event Centre's community hall on Thursday evening as the doors opened, allowing the eager book worms waiting in line to finally peruse the South Central Regional Library's annual book sale.

The line of people started at the doors to the community hall and snaked around the offices all the way to the back entrance of the baseball hall of fame, nearly 100 people who couldn't wait to stock their shelves with the discounted volumes.

"The amazing thing is," said chairperson of the SCRL book sale," we'll sell thousands and thousands of books tonight, and then tomorrow when we come here, it will still look this full." 

Chairperson of the annual book sale, Elaine Ivey, holds up perhaps the most valuable book available this year, "The Invisible Island" (left). It sells for hundreds of dollars on rare book websites, but she's priced it down.

Money from the book sale will be used to purchase new books for the libraries in the area. It's the only fundraiser the SCRL project.

"It also benefits our communities because it recycles back in [them] at reasonable prices that families can afford," said Ivey. She added that some people read the books they purchase at the book sale, then donate them back for next year's sale.

Around 40 per cent of the books at the sale are taken off library shelves. These are the books that haven't been withdrawn from the library very often, and it makes room for new additions to the library.

In the past two years, not counting the expenses of renting the hall and transport, $20,000 has been raised.

On a couple tables, off in the corner, there's an "Old Titles" section with rare tomes worth hundreds of dollars to collectors. Ivey has priced them to sell.

"There might be only two or three copies available," Ivey said, and that's what makes them valuable.