Kamloops Symphony Orchestra seeking donations for Barb’s Used Book & Music Sale

One of Kamloops’ biggest book and music sale is set to return this fall, but organizers are asking the community to build up inventory after a devastating fire this spring.

A fire at St. Andrews on the Square devastated the inventory for the annual Barb’s Used Book & Music Sale and forced the event to move locations.

The Kamloops Symphony Orchestra and KSO Music School will be hosting the event at the Pavilion Theatre, located at 1025 Lorne St., over more than 25 dates throughout October.

However, the KSO is reaching out to the community to help them start rebuilding.

A news release explains that the KSO is looking for financial contributions, donations of books and music and volunteers to help with the sale.

Donations of furniture, particularly tables to display music, chairs for volunteers, shelving units and storage totes, are also needed.

Donations can be dropped off at the Pavillion Theatre between 8 am and 1 pm on the following dates:

• Tuesday–Thursday, Sept. 3-5

• Saturday–Monday, Sept. 7-9

• Saturday–Monday, Sept. 14-16

“The KSO is extremely grateful for all the generous donations but asks that donors keep in mind the life of a book and general interest,” the news release says.

“With so much now available online they have found that many of the books do not move through the sale anymore and end up going to recycling or landfill.”

The KSO will not be accepting donations of magazines, Reader’s Digest, textbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, VHS and cassette tapes. DVDs will also not be accepted.

The KSO has compiled a list of the most common purchases during the sale to aid with donation items:

• Recent (2019 and up) mystery and general novels

• Kids and teen books

• Local/BC/Canadian history

• Non-Fiction, including all general interest recent prints of sports, gardening, cookbooks, biographies, travel, and self-help

• Puzzles and games

• Vintage books in good quality

• Music instruction books for all instruments

• Vinyl Records, especially the ones you listened to in your post-secondary days that filled the study halls

The KSO hopes that St. Andrews on the Square will be restored in time to store any leftover donations following the October sales.

More information about the nearly 30 book sale dates, including hours of operation, visit this link.