The Friends of the Dartmouth Libraries tried to get rid of every last book of thousands lining a room at the Southworth Library.

The annual Fall Book Sale is one of two annual sales the Friends hosts each year — the other is in the spring. All of the books have been donated by community members, and painstakingly looked over before it goes for sale, said book sale chair Anne Markowski.

“We really look over every book with a hawk’s eye to make sure everything is in good condition,” Markowski said.

Additionally, Markowski said volunteers look for books that could be worth a bit more. She said a Friends member appraises older books to figure out how much they are worth exactly, but at the book sale those books are still offered cheaper than the going rate.

Markowski could not even begin to count the exact number of books that the Friends received in donations, but she estimated it in the thousands. In past years, about 500 people usually stop by the three-day event, and $4,000-6,000 is raised. That money supports library events, including guest speakers.

There are books of every imaginable genre and subject for sale, from fiction books — by far the largest section with mystery books being the largest of it — to nonfiction biographies, books on local history, cookbooks and more.

“One of the reasons we’re a hit is because we do categorize things and books on display are in good condition,” Markowski said.

If the book sale does not manage to sell all of its books, they won’t be wasted. Markowski said everything is donated to Discover Books, which sells used books online. Books are also donated to local schools, and cookbooks are given to food pantries.