Cheap Used Book Sale Brings Thousands of Readers to Sept-Îles

Crowds Flock to Abris du Vieux-Quai for Discounted Volumes

Passionate readers lined up outside the venue before doors opened on Saturday morning, according to Laura Boudreau, development and communications agent for the Réseau BIBLIO de la Côte-Nord. The sale features books for adults priced at $2, while children’s books and comic books sell for $1. Shoppers frequently leave with multiple bags of literature. Josée Rondo purchased 17 books to complete her collection of Michel Tremblay’s series La diaspora des Desrosiers, while another family group—consisting of Serge, Valérie, and their daughter Sabrina—departed with two full bags of reading material, including cat-themed books.

Operational Necessity Meets Community Access

The large-scale book sale serves a practical purpose for regional libraries. Every year, the Réseau BIBLIO de la Côte-Nord withdraws roughly about 4,000 books from its inventory to make room for new acquisitions across its 32 affiliated libraries. Pascale Malenfant, Culture and Library Supervisor for the City of Sept-Îles, noted in previous coverage that the initiative removes older stock from shelves to keep collections current while keeping literature accessible. To maintain high standards, documentation technician Véronique Dufour spends weeks inspecting every donated or retired volume to ensure no pages are missing and no stains mar the books.

Funding Regional Literacy Initiatives

All proceeds collected during the weekend event are reinvested directly into the Réseau BIBLIO de la Côte-Nord to finance animation tools and reading promotion campaigns throughout the region. Over its first four editions, the sale moved more than 6,535 books. The event continues to attract notable local figures as well; local comic book author Ghyslain Duguay attended the sale and successfully purchased a copy of his own out-of-print comic book because he no longer owned an extra copy.