Friendly pace , full shelves : Nord-Bridge book sale returns

By Lethbridge Herald on January 29, 2026.

HERALD PHOTO BY JOE MANIO Visitors browse hundreds of books and DVDs at the Nord-Bridge Senior CentreÕs annual $1 sale, running Wednesday through Friday.

By Joe Manio

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter-Lethbridge Herald

If navigating your living room requires a careful slalom between stacks of books on tables, end tables and nightstands, you may be walking the fine line between “collector and hoarder” — a line many readers are more than willing to blur at the Nord-Bridge Senior Centre’s annual book sale.

The event is a popular fixture at Nord-Bridge and a reflection of how the centre proudly bills itself: “The Friendly Centre.”

Running Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the sale invites the community to browse hundreds of donated books and DVDs all priced at $1 each; with the understanding that leaving empty-handed is both unlikely, if not impossible.

It is also rooted in a belief that reading matters, particularly for seniors, as an activity that helps keep minds engaged — a “use it or lose it” approach to mental fitness wrapped in the simple pleasure of a good book.

For Heather Todd, a Nord-Bridge member and volunteer, who maintains the centre’s in-house library, that connection between reading and mental well-being is central to the sale.

“One of the key factors with the aging brain is making sure that the white matter is supported. Because it supports the gray matter” says Todd. “So keeping people living healthier, longer books are a strong portion of that.”

White matter consists of the brain’s communication pathways, connecting different regions and allowing messages to travel quickly, while gray matter contains the nerve cells that process information and control thought, memory and movement. 

Books and other media are collected throughout the year. Some are added to the library while others are stored until sale time, when tables fill with everything from mystery and romance novels to cookbooks, non-fiction, DVDs and children’s titles — all for a dollar apiece.

Todd says the decision to open the sale to the general public goes beyond fundraising.

“Books are meant to be read,” she says. “We opened it up the last couple of years now for the general public. We have some phenomenal books and in such decent condition that it’s well-worth coming.”

Proceeds from the sale help support programs and activities at the senior centre, but organizers say the broader goal is circulation — making sure books and movies continue to be read, watched, shared and enjoyed.

Among avid bibliophiles, there is an unwritten rule: “It’s not hoarding if it’s books.” Hoarding, after all, is when your home becomes an obstacle course, requiring careful navigation between literary towers balanced on every flat surface. At a dollar each, the line can blur quickly.

Shoppers seem to agree as Todd says the sale has its share of regulars; Todd described one shopper who comes every year in search of western novels, and others who buy-up all the titles in specific genres they can get their hands on.

The atmosphere during the sale is generally unhurried and social, but at times also a hive of activity. Visitors flip through pages, compare finds and trade recommendations, often lingering longer than planned.

The sale draws a wide mix of ages. Nord-Bridge seniors browse alongside members of the community including families with children in tow, working professionals and students, united by the simple pleasure of physical books and the shared belief that stories are meant to be passed along.

As the sale continues through Friday, tables will thin and choices will narrow, but enthusiasm remains high as readers will head home with ambitious reading plans — all for less than a price of a cup of coffee.

At The Friendly Place, collecting books is encouraged…just watch your step on the way to the nightstand (if applicable).