Written by Annie DiMario, Anderson Township Library Association Volunteer
Hundreds of book lovers from Cincinnati and beyond are devotees to the Anderson Township Library Association (ATLA) sales held every June and November. The upcoming Holiday sale, running Nov. 5-7 at Comboni Missionaries on Nagel Road in Anderson, features over 30,000 items, including gently used books, gifts, puzzles, games, collectibles, and other media.
The best part? Almost everything is priced between $1-5.
The November sale has evolved from its origins as a small auxiliary sale held in the Anderson Branch Library meeting room to a fully-stocked secondhand holiday marketplace in the Comboni gym. We sat down with Jeanne Sheppard, one of ATLA’s longest-serving volunteers with 40 years of service, to discuss this growth and what to expect from the upcoming sale.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
What were the goals of ATLA at the beginning? Was the book sale always the big fundraiser?
Jeanne: When the Library was planning an Anderson Branch [in the early 1980s], a group of young moms thought it would be a great idea to gather up all the books they had read and have a sale in someone's garage. The funds would be given to the Library to help pay for some nice landscaping for the new branch. I think I remember that they made about $1,000. That gave them the motivation to keep on going, and it grew amazingly! They found a lawyer who drew up legal papers and kept them on the right path. It was years later that we applied for and received our 501(c)(3) status. My first sale was a huge three-day sale [at Beechmont Mall.]
What is one of your favorite memories of the sale?
Jeanne: Several years ago, a man and his wife came up to the cashiers’ table with their arms full of books and we talked as I added them up. They smiled and said, “We’ll be back.” Sure enough, about 30 minutes later they were back with more books, and we talked a little more. They told me they were here from Tennessee and had read about us on social media. They took the books and said they’d see me in a while. I think they made four trips, buying books and loading up their car. Before they left for the last time, they said that where they lived in Tennessee, there were many areas – schools, churches, etc. – that were so poor that they couldn’t buy books, and these were going to be distributed free to all they could supply.
The ATLA Holiday Book Sale runs Nov. 5-7, 2026, at Comboni Missionaries, 1318 Nagel Road, Cincinnati OH 45255. Sale hours are Thursday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday 10 .a.m.- 4 p.m., and Saturday 10 a..m-3 p.m. Cash, checks, credit cards, and Apple Pay are all accepted. Parking is free on site, the site is accessible, and volunteers are available to help customers to their cars if needed. Proceeds benefit special programs at the Anderson and Mt. Washington branch libraries, which netted $50,000 for the 2025 sales.
Follow ATLA on Facebook and Instagram for year-round updates on their sales.
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