More exciting than ever in its 28th year
Nancy Ruhnke, a Victoria College alumna from the class of 1973, has been volunteering with the Vic Book Sale from the very beginning, back when it was run out of a single professor’s office. That professor, F. David Hoeniger, was the man responsible for starting what has now become a flourishing fundraiser and one of Victoria College’s most highly anticipated fall events. Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Nancy to talk about the book sale, and although I’ve attended the sale several times, I was surprised by how much I still didn’t know about the event.
The Vic Book Sale is administered by a group of volunteers known as the Friends of Victoria University Library, who work year-round to gather the books. This year they’ve gathered around 1,450 boxes of books, a number which becomes all the more impressive when you realize that the sale relies entirely on donations. Contributions come from many places. Book reviewers often donate nearly brand-new volumes, while many magnificent collections have been bequeathed to the book sale by recently passed faculty members. The Vic Book Sale would not be possible without donations, and Nancy made sure to tell me that the team is extremely grateful for all their donors. That being said, if you’re looking to make a donation there is perhaps one book you should just keep for yourself — the Vic Book Sale receives about fifty donations of The Da Vinci Code every year.
There is plenty to find within the 1,450 boxes that the volunteers have collected. This includes more than 30 primary categories of books, which will be subdivided once set-up begins in the Victoria College Building. These primary categories include fiction, math & science, art, mystery, humour, Greek & Latin, and the always highly anticipated specials collection, where rare and unique books can be found. Some particular highlights of this year’s inventory include a box of Bob Dylan vinyl records, a Victorian book of tips for young ladies, and a Russian mathematics textbook (the donor promised Nancy it would sell!)
However, while there is plenty to find at the Vic Book Sale, there is also plenty you won’t find. For one thing, you won’t find any leftover books from previous sales. As Nancy explained, people won’t want to come back every year if they’re just going to be seeing the same books again and again. Besides, if someone didn’t want to buy a book during last year’s sale (especially on the last day, when everything is 50% off) then chances are no one will want to buy it this year either. Thus, one more responsibility for the hardworking volunteers is to find good homes for all the leftover books at the end of every sale. Leftover books have been donated to all kinds of places, including local hospitals and correctional centres, and for a few years the Vic Book Sale even had a partnership with a Chinese university that was setting up a Canadian library. The last thing any volunteer wants to do is throw a perfectly good book in the recycling bin.
At the end of our interview, I asked Nancy for a fun fact about the Vic Book Sale. I wanted something I could put at the end of my article to drum up as much excitement for the sale as possible. Nancy, who was usually quick to answer my questions, struggled with this one. The following day, she sent me an email and explained why she had hesitated to answer that question. To her, it’s all fun. Trying to pick one singular “fun fact” was so difficult because there was too much to choose from. There are impressive facts, such as how in only 27 years the Vic Book Sale has raised over $2.5 million for E.J. Pratt Library. There are hilarious facts, such as how the sale once got double-booked with a wedding, and the volunteers had to race to pack up their boxes so as not to ruin the big day. (“We’re probably in some of the wedding photos,” Nancy joked.) There are the heartwarming facts, like how this event is run entirely by volunteers, who range in age from teenagers to nonagenarians, and whom Nancy describes as “the most wonderful people.” Furthermore, the day-to-day operations of the Book Sale are just as fun to Nancy as any one fact, and that’s what makes it such a successful event. Accordingly, I’m not going to end this article with a single fun fact. Instead, I’ll just tell you to close your computer, run to Old Vic, and buy that Russian mathematics textbook before it’s too late.
The Vic Book Sale, now in its 28th year, will run in Old Vic from Thursday, September 19 until Monday, September 23. Information about hours, admission, and more can be found on the Friends of Victoria University Library website: https://library.vicu.utoronto.ca/friends/
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