Fall brings with it the distribution of syllabi and, with them, the mad rush to the University of Toronto Bookstore to purchase necessary materials. Amidst this book buying extravaganza, many of U of T’s colleges offer students other chances to get their literary fix at their annual fall book sales.
Kicking off the season is Victoria College’s annual book sale, taking place from September 18-22 in the Old Vic building. Founded in 1992, the book sale is organized by the Friends of Victoria University Library, and chaired by alumna Nancy Ruhnke. All proceeds go towards the E.J. Pratt Library, and to student scholarships and bursaries.
As all of the books are donations, the selection ranges from very recent releases to expensive rare finds, such as a first Canadian edition of an Agatha Christie title which sold for $10,000 a few years back.
“While we do have a good number of books from today’s best seller lists, we offer a range of titles that cannot be found in retail chains,” said Ruhnke, “We have beautiful leather bound sets from the eighteenth century, rare first editions, and some remarkable ephemera. For example, we have a Life magazine from 1943 which features Joseph Stalin on its cover. As well, we have a number of delicately wrought Victorian valentines, which are gorgeous.”
For those who haven’t yet made their way through the independent bookstores Toronto has to offer, the different college book sales are a good place to start your discovery of used books. “The college book sales fulfill a need for bibliophiles who have seen the closure, over the past years, of so many favourite secondhand bookshops,” said Ruhnke, “and I think that is one of the reasons for their success.”
University College’s book sale will take place from October 17-21, followed by Trinity College’s from October 23-27, and St. Michael’s College’s from October 28 to November 1.
10 Item Challenge List
1) A book written by a U of T alumnus
2) A book written by a U of T professor
3) A book for less than a dollar
4) A book published in 2014
5) A book published in the eighteenth century
6) A book with gilded illustrations
7) A book that costs $1000 or more
8) A book with a particularly special inscription
9) A book with marbled pages
10) A book with a personalized gift note inside
