Books fill the lobby of the Tyler Public Library during its biannual book sale on Saturday. (Katecey Harrell/ Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Tyler residents and visitors glided their fingers across the spines of glossy laminated hardback books, taking home titles from the Tyler Public Library’s book sale for next to nothing.

“People discover new things every day they discover a book,” Resource Services Librarian Brent McClendon said.

More than 2,000 books filled tables and racks in the library’s lobby and auditorium during the Tyler Public Library’s biannual book sale Saturday. The sale is a fundraiser, with all proceeds supporting library programs and the purchase of new materials.

The sale also helps the library rehome books that have been withdrawn from its collection.

Allison and Michael Lovell brought their two young daughters, Maddie and Ellie, to the sale.

Maddie, holding a book, said, “I have, like, three bookshelves at home and a massive stack of books by my bed that I need to read.”

When asked how they raised their daughters to love reading, Michael explained that they had been reading to them since they were babies. They read to them before bed when they were younger, and as the girls grew, they started reading to their parents. Sometimes, they stayed up late reading together, and Michael said that often when they checked on their daughters, if they weren’t doing homework, they would find them asleep in their beds with a book beside them.

“I’m an English teacher, and I tell my kids, my students, everybody, be frugal with everything but books,” Allison said. “When you see a book you like, get it. We’ll have time to read it sometime.”

The library provides bags for patrons. During the sale, there is a special bag and box deal: a bag of books costs $10, no matter how many books fit inside or visitors can bring their own box and fill it for $15. Otherwise, the prices are $2 for hardback books, $1 for paperbacks, kids’ books, and audiovisual items like CDs, movies, DVDs and audiobooks.

If a book hasn’t been checked out in about 10 years, depending on where it’s from in the library, it’s taken out of the collection and put into storage. From there, the library either sells it at the book sale or the Book Nook, or it donates it to the Little Free Libraries in parks around the city.

Allison said shopping at the book sale feels less risky than buying from a bookstore. She explained that visitors spend less money at the sale, making it an affordable way to find books.

The turnout for the sale was steady and strong, even though there were fewer books available compared to the last sale. McClendon hopes the next book sale will have a wider variety.

Maddie said reading, or listening to audiobooks, helps her be creative, imaginative and escape into a new world. She said it’s a great way to take a break from school and daily life, especially when tests and homework become too stressful.

She enjoys getting lost in books where she can meet new characters and explore different worlds. She also mentioned how reading has helped her make friends who share the same books. She feels reading is not just a way to escape but also a way to make connections and have new experiences.

Michael agreed one of the benefits of reading is creativity.

He said reading encourages kids to look at something and think, “I want to draw this, I’m going to craft this, I want to do this,” and come up with their own ideas. He believes it’s better than tablets and electronics because reading inspires kids to be creative, take action and dream big.

The Tyler Public Library hosts its bi-annual book sale in the spring and fall each year, depending on available materials. The Book Nook is a year-round sale area located near the stairwell on the first floor. Books range in price from $0.50 to $2. DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks can also be found for sale in the Book Nook.