Oh friends: the December holidays are almost upon us. I don't know about you, but this is when I start to think about the best gifts to give to family and friends who celebrate. And I'm here to tell you: NPL may not be open on Black Friday, but we've still got the best deals in town in our ongoing Book / Item Sale.
How so? Well, our hardcovers for kids & adults are mostly $2 (with a few hot, pristine titles going for more) while our paperbacks are just $1 each. DVDs? CDs? ALSO a dollar. Our puzzles are just $3, and the comics for sale are only 50 cents each. We sometimes have board games and video games to sell, too. NO ONE CAN COMPETE WITH THESE PRICES, Y'ALL. And here are a few ideas to inspire your gift-giving:
* Build someone a paperback book or comic-based Advent calendar for those who celebrate. 12 days will cost you only $12 dollars, and if it's based on comics, only $6!
* Know someone who's traveling this year? Browse our selection of hardcover coffee table books to give them a taster of their travel destination. Or: Did YOU go somewhere cool but couldn't manage to bring home a big book due to travel restrictions? Gift it to a loved one so they can (virtually) take your trip, too! Bonus idea: You can buy a book, then remove and frame illustrations or wrap small gifts using the prettiest pages.
* Peep our DVD collection to fill in any gaps in your own collection of seasonal movies. (Hint: Die Hard and sequels definitely count). Set an annual tradition of watching a certain film, complete with excellent snacks, for some chill family time before, or on, the day(s) you celebrate.
* Adopt the Jolabokaflod custom from Iceland and choose thoughtful books for each family member. The night before your holiday, gift them the book and chocolate (sold separately elsewhere) to enjoy.
* Got some folks in your family who love an intellectual challenge? Browse our nonfiction section for deep dives into all kinds of topics. Or do what I do: Buy an inexpensive puzzle with limited pieces, write a message with a clue to the location or nature of a bigger gift on the back, and either hide the pieces or devise another challenge for the giftee to receive the pieces a few at a time. Only once they've completed all challenges, flipped over the puzzle to read the message, and solved the final clue will they get their 'big' gift of the season.
* Need some family fun on your special holiday? Grab a puzzle for the whole family to work on together as you sip your beverages of choice. And take a peek: we might have a fun family board game at a bargain price, too. Nothing says merriment like owning a family member at Sorry or Carcassone.
* On a SUPER limited budget this year? Browse our FREE MATERIALS cart next to the check-out desk! You never know what you're going to find. I've seen classic novels (perfect for the English majors in your life), fiendish puzzles, and much much more. You definitely can't beat a $0 price tag.
Best of all, when you shop from the Normal Public Library Book Sale, proceeds go to the Normal Public Library Foundation, which in turn lets us take our services from good to great. A good cause and unbeatable prices? Plus you don't have to get up in the middle of the night? Oh yes, we really do have the BEST deals in town. Come in and shop for yourself during our regular library hours!