A book lover’s bounty.

Books on everything from art to zoology were on sale at the Southworth Library this week as the Friends of the Dartmouth Libraries held the first of their two annual book sales.

The sale, which also runs in October, raises money that the organization uses to fund library programs and provide the libraries with passes to area attractions and museums.

Elizabeth Nichols, a board member for the Friends of Dartmouth Libraries, said that all the books at the event were donated from community members and sold for between 50 cents and $2.

“So it raises money for programs but it also lets people come in and look through the eclectic collection,” she said.

Nichols said that the friends accept all kinds of books , aside from encyclopedias and textbooks, and that the donations are sorted into categories by volunteers when they arrive.

“Just sorting the books is a full-time job,” she said.

Blair Walker, who is also on the board, said that the sale usually brings in about $5,000 to $6,000.

Midway through the third day of the four-day sale, the total had reached $4,000.

Walker said that while the friends did not have an exact count of the number of books sold, the empty boxes that had held them were stacked floor to ceiling in one of the library’s back rooms.

“So we’re really pushing books,” she said.

The final day of the spring sale is Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.