Book store

Now Open: Monday-Saturday; 11 AM-5 PM 


The Read Before Book Store

–Purveyors of Gently Used Readables

The Read Before Bookstore is a used book store located inside the Library wholly operated by volunteers under the guidance of the Library Advisory Board.  All materials in the book store are donations from the community or library discards.  Proceeds from the store are used to fund library programming and special projects.

The store carries a large selection of books by popular authors as well as children’s books,  vintage books, magazines, DVDs, music CDs, audio books and an assortment of puzzles, games and miscellaneous items.

Like-new, recently published books are priced at $2.00-$5.00 each.  Older books are priced by the inch–$0.50 per inch for hardcover books and $0.25 per inch for softcover books.  Inventory changes daily.

Donations of clean, odor-free, gently used books are always welcome and can be left at the book store during its operating hours.  If a receipt is needed for tax purposes, please ask for one at the time of donation.  Remember that the book store is volunteer-run and limited on storage space.  It is best to speak with the book store volunteers before bringing really large donations to the library to make sure there is space to accommodate your items.  We also do not have staff available to lift and move heavy boxes, so it is best to bring help or pack items in smaller, manageable boxes or bags.

Book store hours

  • Monday          11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday         11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday     11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Thursday        11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Friday            11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday        11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Sunday           Closed

Because the bookstore is run by volunteers, it is open only when a volunteer is available to work.  Hours can vary from those posted above.

If you are interested in volunteering in the book store, contact the Library at 210-619-1700 for information.

Donation Guidelines

The book store accepts the following items:

  • Clean, gently-used books
  • Current magazines from the previous 12 months
  • College textbooks less than 5 years old
  • DVDs and CDs
  • Complete puzzles and board games

The following items are NOT accepted:

  • Items in poor, soiled or damaged condition
  • VHS and audio cassette tapes
  • Burned/copied DVDs and CDs
  • Encyclopedias sets
  • Children’s toys (other than complete board games and puzzles)
  • Textbooks from SCUCISD or other public school districts