Thank you! 2025 Used Book & Media Sale Wrap-Up

Thank you for making the 2025 AAUW Elmhurst Area Branch Used Book & Media Sale a success!

     Once again the community of Elmhurst has shown both their generosity and their commitment to literacy with its support to the AAUW Used Book & Media Sale! We are incredibly grateful for the long-standing community support of our organization, especially through your donations to the Used Book Sale. Not only do your books provide residents of Elmhurst and nearby suburbs with reasonably priced books and keep books out of landfills, the proceeds from the sale fund scholarships to women to assist with educational expenses as they pursue higher education, key to economic stability.

     There are so many to thank and we are undoubtedly missing people in this list. The Elmhurst Public Library once again shared their alcove space for our donation bin, as did Courts Plus. District 205 provided rental space and tables at Sandburg Middle School – a perfect location for the sale! The Elmhurst Independent, Elmhurst Suburban Life and the Daily Herald graciously provided us with publicity by sharing articles and photographs about the sale. The Elmhurst and Hillside Libraries culled their collections and donated wonderful children and young adult books.  Our sister AAUW branch from Glen Ellyn-Wheaton donated many wonderful books left after their book sale.  The Community Bank advertised the sale on their digital sign. Binny’s provided boxes to organize our collected books.  

     Often, we ask ourselves, “Is it worth the work?” This year, forty-eight  women from the branch could be seen, lifting, moving and sorting books six mornings a week for 3 weeks.  While we may not look our best and get a bit achy and tired, it is all worthwhile when we hear the thanks from shoppers, a child’s excitement at finding a special book, and the grateful customers filling a whole bag with books on Sunday!  This year, we heard from teachers and librarians about how they mark these dates on their calendars each year because it means so much to them and their students to get these books in libraries and classrooms.  We send cartons of unsold books to Bernie’s Book Bank who distributes quality books to children throughout Chicagoland. And we were pleased to be able to assist in an Eagle Scout project to fill little libraries in laundromats across the area.

    We give scholarships to women who have struggled with how to pay for advanced education and hear their gratitude as they tell us how meaningful our gift is to them. Is there any doubt? It’s worth it! 

    Thank you, Elmhurst for supporting the Elmhurst Area AAUW Branch Used Book Sale. Your previously read books really make a difference. Dragging those books to a collection bin was worth it – and we hope you are looking forward to doing it again next year!

Jennifer Jordan & Renee Oshinski
Elmhurst Area AAUW Used Book Sale Co-Chairs