Sunday marked National Book Lovers Day, and what better way to celebrate than with some new reads? The Friends of the Schenectady County Public Library spent the day hosting an outdoor book sale with kids in mind.

What You Need To Know

  • The Friends of the Schenectady County Public Library hosted an outdoor book sale for kids on National Book Lovers Day

  • The next book sale is coming up on September 13

  • SCPL has tons of different programs to get kids reading on their website, as well as virtual story times, performances and more

Tegan Ratcliff and mom Chelsea came all the way from Nassau for Sunday's book sale. And it isn't the first time they've made the trip.

"My mom lives in Colonie, so we actually were here a couple weeks ago for the adult book sale," said Chelsea Ratcliff.

Chelsea is a teacher, and while she's staying home right now, she's also making sure people in her neighborhood are able to have something new to read on the regular.

"I actually run a little free library at the house and we like to stick books in there and we get a lot of visitors to that too," Chelsea said.

The book sale drew a lot of visitors. 


"The first sale we had, everyone wanted to know, 'Where's the books for the kids?!'" said Karen Bradley, Director of Schenectady County Public Libraries.

This time they were ready.

"I usually read scary stories and horror books," said Tegan Ratcliff. "They're just fun to read."

So on their second trip of the day, Tegan picked up some R.L. Stine 'Goosebumps' books, some lighter reading, 'The Babysitter's Club,' and more.

"Some 'Sweet Valley High' books," Chelsea Ratcliff said. "We've been looking for those too!"

While a book can take you anywhere, many are also learning tools.

"You can do math with a cookbook, so measuring and different things," Bradley said. "So there's a lot of books and I believe parents have become very imaginative."

It's something Bradley said parents coming through the sale were excited about, as many weigh whether to send their kids to in-person school in the fall.

"It's a big decision that people have never had to face before," Bradley said. "So we hope we have books to supplement whatever it is parents' needs are as a library."

Bradley's also up against something she's never faced as a grandparent before.

"I'm looking for Matilda and Clark," she said, thumbing through activity-focused books.

Not knowing whether her own grandkids will head to school in the fall.

"I might have to buy these books," Bradley said, selecting two project books the kids can do at home with limited supplies. Just in case.

"Like if this time last year, somebody said this to us, I don't think it's anything that you could ever wildly imagine," Bradley said. "If someone said there'd be this time, it's like written in a book, there would be this time that across the globe, everybody would be masked up. It's so surreal."

The next book sale is coming up on September 13. SCPL has tons of different programs to get kids reading on their website, as well as virtual story times, performances, a private reading group on Facebook for kids and more.

Starting Monday, if you don't already have a library card, but want to get one, SCPL's Clinton Street location is offering curbside sign up. All you need to bring to sign up is an ID.