Thousands of new and used titles line shelves for next weekend's Rockcliffe Park fundraiser

By Karen Turner, The Ottawa Citizen October 31, 2009

Maggie Knaus is running out of steam. For the past week, she and a dedicated team of parent volunteers have been unloading hundreds of books for next weekend's Rockcliffe Book Fair. They still have a long way to go.

"It's a mountain," says Knaus of the more than 1,000 boxes of new and used books that were donated for this year's book sale, Nov. 6 to 8, at Rockcliffe Park Public School. "I don't know why, but it's just way more than last year. We actually had to turn donations away."

Knaus, who has helped organize the three-day sale for the past five years, says it takes two weeks "working everyday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m." to unload and sort the books and stock shelves set up in the school gym.

Books are grouped by category, which includes adult fiction and non-fiction in soft and hard cover. There is also a large children's section with books for all ages in both English and French. Knaus says most books are priced between $1 and $8.

Just in time for Christmas, you will also find CDs, DVDs, videos, puzzles and games for the whole family and there will be a silent auction of rare and collectible books.

Now in its 48th year, the sale is one of Ontario's largest used book fairs. Proceeds from the event are used to fund literacy programs at Rockcliffe Park and other.

Ottawa schools.

48th annual Rockcliffe Book Fair

When: Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Rockcliffe Park Public School, 370 Springfield Rd. at Buena Vista Road

Admission: Free

Info: rockcliffebookfair.com