Posted by Katie on Wednesday, May 7, 2025
The Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation is gearing up for one of our biggest events of the summer—our annual Sidewalk Sale Book Sale, held during the Downtown Iowa City Sidewalk Sales on Saturday, July 19, from 10am to 3pm and Sunday, July 20, from noon to 4pm. Stop by the Library's Meeting Room A sale area for amazing bargains on books and more—all while supporting your Library!
But before the sale begins, we need your help.
We’re calling on community members to donate gently used books, media, and games to help stock the sale tables. Every donated item helps raise funds that support Library programs, services, and collections.
What We Accept:
- Gently used books in good condition (all ages and genres welcome)
- Audiobooks on CD
CDs and DVDs in original cases (no burned copies) - LP records
- Textbooks published within the past 5 years
- World language books with ISBNs
- Historical materials about Iowa City and Iowa
- Complete puzzles and games in good condition
What We Cannot Accept:
- Damaged, dirty, ripped, wet, or moldy items
- Magazines
- Reader’s Digest or other condensed books
- VHS or cassette tapes
- Encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauruses
- Used workbooks or fill-in-the-blank books
- Advanced reader editions
- Burned CDs or DVDs
- Incomplete media collections (e.g., a missing DVD disc)
How to Donate:
Drop off your donations at the first floor Help Desk any time the Library is open.
If you have more than two boxes, please contact the Development Office at 319-356-5249 or email development@icpl.org to schedule a drop-off. We’ll meet you at the 10-minute parking spots in front of the Library to assist with unloading.
Please bring your donations in bags or boxes you do not need returned.
Your donations help keep our sales thriving—and your support fuels the Library’s mission to serve readers and learners of all ages. Thank you for giving your books a second life and helping our Library grow stronger with each sale.
We can’t wait to see you July 19–20!
For more information, visit www.supporICPL.org
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About the Author
Katie Roche works at the Library as the Development Director of the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation, which works to inspire every member of our community to support the Iowa City Public Library as a Library user, volunteer, or donor. Katie loves to read widely and especially enjoys reading in anticipation of events featuring writers...