Signed books, maritime books, children’s books, art books. Coffee table books, cook books, old books, and classic novels. These—and much more—will be for sale this coming Saturday, Oct. 1 and Monday, Oct. 3 at the Essex Library. The Friends of Essex Library is holding its Fall Book and CD Sale, a win-win for book-lovers who walk away with new-to-you books and bolster their local library with the proceeds.

This year’s sale offers “thousands of book in all categories,” according to Peggy Tuttle, book sale coordinator with Friends of Essex Library, plus “some very special books that are priced individually.”

Generally, hardcovers are $2 and paperbacks are $1, with lower prices for children’s materials.

“It’s very nicely priced,” said Tuttle. “There are some things that are specially priced that are really unusual or valuable. We have a lot of signed books—many, many signed books—that are all alphabetized. Some of them are older books, there are art books, there’s beautiful coffee table books, there’s some brand new fiction and all sorts of unusual things that have been donated to us.”

Signed books include David Handler’s The Burnt Orange Sunrise, Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, David Sedaris’s When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and Madeline Albright’s Madam Secretary. There’ll also be a silent auction of a signed copy of The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA by James Watson ending on Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. A list of many of the signed and special books is available on the library website for those who want more specifics.

The sale will also feature a selection of music CDs, including selections of operas, classical piano works, and premier orchestral conductors, all in new or like-new condition. The CDs will be priced at 50 percent off of online prices.

“We have some really special collections of music CDs and those will also be offered for sale, too,” Tuttle added.

For the library, the event is one of two big sales held each year by the Friends of Essex Library, typically in the spring and in the fall. It’s a culmination not just of the friends group’s efforts, but also of the community’s generosity in the preceding months.

“Virtually all [the books] are donations from the community at large,” said Tuttle.

Buying a book at the sale is basically a donation to the library, too.

“It’s a fundraiser for the Friends of Essex Library, which every year donates as much money as we possibly can to the Essex Library itself, often for a specific project or renovation need, or to support programs that the librarians would like to offer,” Tuttle commented.

So go crazy, book-lovers. Beyond filling your shelves at home, purchases will help bring interesting speakers to the Essex Library, fund free online resources such as foreign language programs, and provide more great perks for library patrons.

The Friends of Essex Library holds its Fall Book and CD Sale on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Essex Library, 33 West Avenue. Books are half price on Oct. 1 from 3 to 4 p.m., with a “bring your own bag” sale for $5 from 4 to 5 p.m. The “fill your bag” sale continues on Oct. 3. Only cash or checks are accepted. To view a list of books that will be available, visit www.youressexlibrary.org; click on “Friends” then “Book Sale.”