If it’s the weekend after Memorial Day, it must be time for the 77th annual Association for Continuing Education/Case Western Reserve University book sale.
The Book Sale began in 1946 as a book exchange, with local celebrities auctioning off books donated by members and friends.
To some, this might sound like just another hum drum pile of books event, but to passionate bibliophiles, this sale is like Christmas, mainly due to its reputation for having such an extensive range of high quality books and CDs to choose from at such a reasonable price. You’ll also come across out-of-print books, and books from estates, which are rare to find in this age.
Right on cue, the annual book sale on an unseasonably chilly afternoon in Cleveland, kicked off at 10 a.m. sharp on Saturday, May 31st and will run through Tuesday, June 3rd.
CWRU charged $20 for the early bird special from 10 a.m. until noon, but after that, the sale is absolutely free through Tuesday, June 3.
The only glitch this year is that the ACE/CWRU book sale isn’t being held at its traditional location, the Adelbert Gym, near the university. Due to the gym being renovated, the book sale moved to 3631 Perkins Avenue in Cleveland, at least for the time being.
The new location sparked frustration and minor annoyance for some patrons who had to get used to the limited space of books for sale compared with the wide-open space of the Adelbert Gym.
The books on display were only a quarter of the space they are normally accustomed to.
Sandy Melzer, co-director of the CWRU book sale understands the limited space available to patrons isn’t ideal, but it’s the best they can do given their financial constraints.
“Warehouse space is extremely expensive,” Melzer says. “This (Perkins warehouse) is an extremely cheap place in comparison. It doesn’t have the size we would have liked, but it has the price tag we can afford. Because as a non-profit, we don’t want to spend $4500 a month on warehouse space.”
The reaction from patrons to CWRU’s new home was a mixed bag; but most put up with the minor inconvenience. Just being around books and book lovers made it a worthwhile experience for many who made the trek to the Perkins Avenue warehouse.
Latoy Gaitor came from Troy, Michigan. “I came in town specifically for this,” Gaitor told me. “This was my first time. I loved the experience and will be back next year. I go to a lot of book sales and fairs, I’m a book collector for my own personal library. I enjoy being around book lovers.”
The first impression of Maggie Erady to the book sale was that it was very crowded. Still, it was a positive experience for the Bay Village resident. “I like to comb the rare and unusual books.” In addition to the CWRU book sale, Erady likes to attend the ongoing Bay Village book sales.
Richard Adams from Strongsville wasn’t a fan of the new location. “It was too small.” He doesn’t think he’ll come back next year. It was so awkward elbowing and positioning himself to peruse the books that he simply gave up after a while. Adams is an avid book lover and attends, on average, about 10 book sales every year throughout the city.
Lauren Lese, a local resident, said she came last year to the CWRU book sale for the first time. Her impressions? “The space is limited and hard for people to get by, but it looks like they still have enough space for the books, so that’s the most important thing. “
Last year, Lese came on the last day and quickly discovered there wasn’t much to choose from. So, she and her partner decided to plunk down $20 for the early bird special this year.
Winston Crausaz, another local resident, had a rather dim view of the book sale. “I come every year. There’s not much here. I probably won’t come back next year. “On the positive note, Crausaz thought the selection of books was amazingly diverse. “It was only now and then that I saw a book that I’ve actually read,” Crausaz said.
I bumped into another gentleman from Cuyahoga Falls, Patrick, (who didn’t want to give me his last name) who told me “I’ve been coming here for the last five to six years. I love it. It feels a bit smaller this year.”
The CWRU book sale had a particular keen interest for Tom Kaschalk who is a new author. Kaschalk is from Seven Hills, but grew up on Cleveland’s southeast side. He tells me that he still frequents a number of bookstores, but doesn’t come across many book sales anymore. “The experience to this sale” Kaschalk says, “has been awesome. I have a bagful of books so far.”
What makes the ACE/CWRU so unique is that it typically entertains visitors from Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Indiana, and Illinois (mostly Chicago). Those that come in are mostly book dealers. Sandy Melzer said “they don’t mind paying the $20 early bird fee (from 10 a.m.-noon) which gives them a chance to buy up tons of stuff to resell at their stores.”
And unlike previous years, book lovers who won’t be able to make it until Monday or Tuesday, take heart. Because the Perkins Avenue warehouse isn’t large enough to handle all the books, they most likely will be rolling out a fresh batch of books on Monday and Tuesday.
And while some book lovers might be frustrated by the limited space this year, they should exercise patience and understanding. All proceeds, after all, are going to a worthy cause.
Proceeds from the book sale, according to Loraine Nelson, Program Administrator, enables ACE to offer low-cost programs throughout the year: Lecture Day in the fall, Book Discussion Day in the spring, a series of Authors Luncheons in the summer, and special tours of special interest in the Cleveland area.
For me personally, the ACE/CWRU book sale is always a pleasurable experience, which I look forward to every year. While, like others, I found little space to maneuver in some isles, especially the European history section, I did come across some real gems in the reference section, my favorite section, because you never know what you’ll stumble on.
This year, a number of jewels ended up my bag, including “The Illustrated History of the 19th Century”, “Hamlet” (deconstructed by Yale University scholar Harold Bloom), “Word Origins and Their Romantic Stories”, “Joy of Words” (selections of literature, humor, history, wisdom, etc.), “Tales from the Ballpark” by Mike Shannon and “A Dictionary of Catchphrases.”
I additionally love the ACE/CWRU book sale, because it gives me a chance to chat with the many volunteers who have given up so much of their valuable time to help book lovers have a memorable experience.
If you come, please be kind to them. They deserve your respect.
Happy hunting!
--Bill Lucey
[email protected]
May 31, 2025
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