Thanks to the generosity of library lovers throughout the Verde Valley, Clarkdale volunteers intent on saving the town’s historic, 90-year-old cultural institution amassed some 7,000 titles for the Clark Memorial Library Grand Reopening Book Sale—many like new, many by popular authors, some rare collectors’ items. After the sale (which added over $3,000 to FCML’s annual $12,000 fund-raising goal), the County Library District allotted space in CML for a bookstore, from which library-loving volunteers could continue to sell the thousands of books remaining along with ongoing new donations.

Volunteers David Perrell and Frank Lombardo got to work constructing custom shelving to display as many books as possible. Volunteers Carol Cain and Therese Hearn stocked these shelves with a representative sampling of the 36 genres in storage—around a thousand titles in all. The Friends Bookstore was fully functional in time for New Years 2018.

Finding what you’re looking for…

Fiction and other literary genres are on the south (left) wall.

(from top down, left to right) Science fiction, fantasy, myth, & horror • Humor • Mysteries & thrillers • Poetry • Classic literature, all genres, including drama • Contemporary mainstream novels • Short stories, essays, & condensed novels • Romance novels, including romantic mysteries & thrillers.
(Fiction is shelved alphabetically by author.)

Children’s and Young Adult literature (fiction and non-fiction) are under the west window.

Non-Fiction is on the north (right) wall.

Biography, memoirs, & true tales • Education & social science • Finance & business, including legal & career advice • Gardening & landscape • Health & fitness • Hard science, from astronomy through physics, including mechanics & transportation • Natural science, from anthropology to zoology • Alternate science research & theories • History & geography • Philosophy & religion • Political commentary & civics • Spiritual health & self-improvement • Sports, games, & wilderness survival • Southwest themed books, all genres, including Native American culture & history • Writing & composition w/dictionaries.
(Non-fiction is shelved by category as best we can manage, then by author.)

Various arts and skills are displayed on the center island.

Architecture, interior design, & home improvement • Art crafts, including sewing & woodworking • Fine arts & photography • Music • Foreign languages • Travel guides & commentary • Oversized non-fiction.

Cookbooks & household management, including etiquette, are on the east wall (not shown).

All books are priced, most in the upper right corner of the flyleaf. We’ve boxed a few of the most popular paperback categories, with a larger selection available on request.

Books sold are replaced daily and genres refreshed frequently to give patrons more access to the vast quantity in storage.

Also, if you see your genre, but not the specific title or sub-category you want, just ask the Bookstore attendant. Cartons will be brought in by appointment, and you can browse through them. And if you still don’t find what you’re looking for, the attendant will contact you when something of interest comes in. We’re here to help FCML fund new library material purchases and programs—not store books.

As a special service for last-minute gift shoppers, for any purchase of $5 or more, Bookstore attendants will add a ribbon and custom-designed gift card at no additional cost.

Have books to donate? Please note…

Our Library Coordinator, Jeff King, has first choice of all donated materials to add to CML’s collection. However, since library patrons generally want a selection of new releases, CML’s shelf space is finite, the Yavapai Library Network offers some 1.3 million titles, and cataloging is labor-intensive, the County Library District’s criteria for cataloging donated materials is quite stringent. Most donations stay with the Bookstore.

Some genres are over-represented by like-new copies of name authors (especially mysteries and romance novels), and we’re too well supplied in some non-fiction categories (especially cookbooks, health & fitness, and self-improvement). Those books that don’t sell within a reasonable number of targeted Bag-a-Bargain sales and can’t be passed on to other charitable outlets will ultimately have to be discarded.

The more books you buy to enjoy yourself, share with family and friends, or give as gifts, the more new titles and programs CML will be able to offer the community that helped revive it. All Friends Bookstore receipts go to library acquisitions.

Thanks for supporting our library!