Thousands of used books go on sale Saturday-Sunday at the Columbus Public Library

If you're too broke to buy your sweetheart even a $2.50 card this Valentine's Day, why not spring for a $1 paperback full of love sonnets?

Such modestly priced literature will be on sale Saturday and Sunday at the annual Friends of Libraries used book sale at the Columbus Public Library on Macon Road.

About 1,000 people are expected to browse through stacks of 4,000-5,000 books 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 2-4 p.m. Sunday in the library's CB&T-Synovus Room, organizers announced today in a press release. Most books will cost $1 or less.

“We’ll have everything on sale, from romance and mystery, books for children and young adults, plus history and biography,” said coordinator Carolyn Smoot. “There also will be a table selling rare books."

Friends President Alice Budge said this will be the organization's 10th book sale. Proceeds help pay for library programs such as The Big Read that this year features Zora Neale Hurston’s "Their Eyes Were Watching God."