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 Annual Newman Used Book Sale

​The annual Newman Used Book Sale is held the third weekend in September each year, Friday: 4-9 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. and Sunday: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Due to Covid-19 the normal 2020 sale has been cancelled, click on the link on the homepage for information about our No Contact Drive Thru Sale.  The proceeds from this sale help to support the programs and services provided by the parish. It has also become a wonderful community event.

All of the books sold have been contributed by members of our community. We receive books and related items from individuals, businesses, schools, libraries, and other interested groups. 

Books are screened as they are received so that water damaged, excessively soiled or torn books are not kept for the sale.

In addition to supporting the church's programs and services, our used book sale actively promotes reading for both pleasure and purpose for all age groups. The sale not only offers good quality books at very affordable prices to the community, but also to the students of the IUP community.

The sale is the perfect time to stock up on books and other media material. It is also a great opportunity to discover new authors, explore new subject areas, find inexpensive materials to supplement your major and/or pick up some new books for your kids.

This popular event always attracts large crowds, so come early. Food and beverages are available for purchase each day. Sunday is "bag day," and we encourage everyone to see book sale prices for more information.

Whether you make a donation, volunteer your time, or just come and buy books, your support is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Directions

The sale is held on church property at 1200 Oakland Avenue, Indiana, PA. Get directions.

​Limited parking is available on site. There is a parking garage across the street from the church, which is available at no charge on Saturday and Sunday; however on Friday, parking fees do apply. 

Download floor plan for the book sale. 

 Donations

Donations are accepted from January 1 through August 31 every year.

The Newman Used Book Sale committee welcomes your donations of good, gently-used books, and other items that are in suitable condition for resale at our book sale. We rely on donations for all the books we sell each year because we do not hold books over for the next year's sale.

We are a very large sale in this area because our community has people who read a lot, move frequently and are very generous with their books. We are also pleased to receive books from the local university, local libraries and various other organizations. 

We thank the community for making ours such a great book sale.

Our sale is only as good as our donations. When donating books and other items, please consider the condition of the books that you would like to buy. Books that have torn covers, missing covers or pages, or have been nibbled on by the family pet or other animal cannot be resold.

The following items are acceptable:

  •  Hardback and paperback books - including textbooks
  • Children's books
  • Puzzles and games, including computer games
  • Music CDs, cassettes and records—please no eight-track or home recorded items
  • DVDs
  • Audio books on CD
  • Computer software 

The following items are unacceptable:

  • Books which are damaged (If your books have been stored where animals may have gotten to them, please be sure to check the items before dropping them off).
  • Coverless, spineless or missing pages
  • Damp, mildewed or food-stained
  • Smelly books
  • Encyclopedias
  • Videos and DVDs that were home recorded
  • VHS Tapes
  • Audio Book on Cassette
  • Magazines - of any type
  • Travel guides​​
  • Art prints and posters

 Where to Donate | Packing Boxes

​Donations may be dropped off at 1200 Oakland Avenue, Indiana, inside the first church entrance by the parking lot. If you would like someone to pick up your book donation, please contact us at ​724-463-2277.

Please pack books lying flat in boxes, and pack the boxes as full as is practical. (Boxes have to be stacked for storage, and unfilled boxes make unstable bases).

If possible, avoid very large boxes, which are too heavy to move when filled. (Think banana boxes, etc). Additionally, please do not tape the top of boxes shut – just tuck the top flaps into each other after the box is full.

If you need a receipt for tax purposes, please visit the church office for a form.

Occasionally, we find personal items in donated books (i.e. photographs, news clippings, written letters). By the time the items are discovered, we are unable to tell who donated the book. Please check your items carefully before donating.

 Ten Commandments of the Newman Used Book Sale

I.  This is a church fundraiser held on church grounds. 
Conduct thyself accordingly. You may not be of our faith, but keep in mind that this is our house of worship. Please be respectful of that fact.​

II.  Thou shalt not leave books where they do not belong.
We encourage you to look at and buy as many books as you like, but should you decide that you do not wish to purchase a book, please return it to its appropriate location or leave it with a cashier.

III.  Remember that this should be enjoyable.
Relax. Smile. Take your time and browse. There is a lot to see.

IV.  Honor thy book sale workers for they are volunteers.
Without these people there would not be a sale.

V.  Thou shalt not complain.
We do welcome constructive criticism and new ideas, however.

VI.  Thou shalt not commit book hoarding.
Please do not scoop up large quantities of books that you do not intend to purchase​. This deprives others of books they may wish to purchase.

VII.  Thou shalt not steal.
Do we really need to elaborate?

VIII.  Thou shalt not be unkind to thy fellow shoppers.
Be courteous, kind and patient with those around you. It will make for a much more pleasant time for all.

IX.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's place in line.
Do not cut in line. If you leave your place in line, you lose your place in line. Do not invite your friends who are just arriving to join you in line in front of others who have been waiting.

X.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's books.
If someone is browsing books on a table, do not reach in and take books from in front of them.

While violating these commandments may not condemn you for eternity, it is cause for you to be asked to leave the church grounds.

 Volunteer Opportunities

St. Thomas More University Parish needs your help.  Below are the Newman Used Book Sale's sub-committees. 

Please take a look at each of the volunteer opportunities and see if you would be able to help us with any of the listed items. In order to make this annual event as stress free as possible, we would like to have several people helping in each of these areas. If you are interested in volunteering or have questions about the opportunities listed below, please contact the parish office at ​724-463-2277​.  Appropriate clearances may be needed.

Download Volunteer Form 

​Committee Name

​Description

​Book Organization | Special Pricing​

Organize books within categories to determine if any should be researched on eBay, Abe Books, etc., to see if they are worth being sold at a higher price than our standard. 

​Book Pick-Ups

Transport donated books from people who cannot bring the books to the church themselves and/or other book sales. If you own a truck this would be helpful.

​Book Sorting

Manage the Saturday morning book sorting. This includes overseeing the set up and clean up of the sorting, as well as arranging for refreshments to be provided for the volunteers. Also ensure that we have adequate supplies for the sorting.

​Cashiers | Money Counters

Work at the sale ringing up orders and dispensing change. Assist the treasurer with preparing cash drawers and counting money at the close of each sale day.

​In-house Details

Create and manage all signage for the sale including those inside the tent/church, outside on the church lawn, the Oak Grove banner and maps for customers. Call the borough manager for permission to stand our sign on the church lawn starting one week before through the end of the sale.

​IUP Students and Youth Volunteers

Recruit volunteers from CSA, the honors college, IUP sports teams, service sororities/fraternities, youth group, boy and girl scouts, etc., to help with sorting, set up, the sale, clean up and recycling.

​Parking | Traffic Control

Direct cars to available parking places the weekend before and during the sale.

​Physical Plant

Arrange and set up signs for traffic control and customer lines.

​PR | IUP Faculty

Compose letters and emails to IUP faculty requesting book donations and announcing the sale dates. Identify retiring faculty for special requests for book donations.

​PR | Media

Work with newspapers, television and radio stations, website advertising agencies, bill board companies, etc., to advertise the sale in the surrounding area.

​PR | Other Campuses

Establish contacts at regional colleges and universities to have them publicize our book sale.

​Publicity | Flyers

Compose flyers, distribute flyers to local businesses and mail flyers to previous out-of-town customers.

​Publicity | Parish Announcements

Compose announcements regarding book sorts and sale dates for Sunday bulletins and the parish website. Send announcements to neighboring parishes.

​Recycling

Take cardboard boxes to recycling after book sorts and during sale week.

​Scheduling

Contact volunteers based on recommendations from other sub-committee chairs to staff various aspects of the book sorts and sale date activities, such as directing traffic, tallying large orders, assisting customers and organizing tables.

​Set-up | Clean-up​

For set up: Recruit volunteers to set up tables, move books from the garage to the tent and lounge area, unpack boxes, and organize the books on the tables. For clean up: Box books not sold and take cardboard to the recycling center. Setting up lounge area to normal configuration.  Provide refreshments for both set up and clean up days.​