'The worst of all jumble sales': Customers mistakenly think library books could be bought for £1 a bag
12 October 2023, 14:52
A library’s shelves were “decimated” in a jumble sale gone wrong, after its entire collection was mistaken for saleable titles.
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Customers at the jumble sale, held in a West Yorkshire library, were able to take a bag filled with books for just £1 – but mistakenly believed every book in the library was also part of the sale.
Shoppers were “misinformed” by social media posts before “purging” library shelves, according to a Batley Library volunteer, Steve McGrath.
Mr McGrath called it “the worst of all jumble sales”.
"The people who decimated the children's library, adult fiction, graphic novels and cookery section have actively stolen Kirklees Libraries’ stock,” he said in a Facebook post.
The event’s leaflet was widely shared on social media, advertising whole bags of books for just £1.
It did not explain that only the books laid out on tables, not on the shelves, were for sale.
Mr McGrath added: "This was atrocious behaviour by some who, through social media, decided that all stock was available to take regardless of my continued announcements.
“People were even seen putting Lego from our Library Lego Club in their bags to take. It was like the worst of all jumble sales. I am shocked, saddened and disappointed that this has happened.
“I've lost my faith in humanity slightly today. I try to do as much as I can for this wider community and although I have been ridiculed by work professionals for my passion, I still dedicate myself to providing positive experiences for the generations.
“This is the negative power of sharing and adding your own comments on social media, acting like Chinese whispers.”
Read more: Challenges to library books in US continue at record pace in 2023, figures show
Kirklees Council, which runs the library, confirmed that “some of the library books that weren’t part of the sale were mistakenly sold”.
A spokesman from the council said it had not yet undertaken a full inventory to establish how many and which books were taken.
It thanked library volunteers like Mr McGrath for their “continued support”.
