In the age of technology, sometimes the feeling of physically holding a book gets lost amid the shuffle of Kindles and eBooks. That sensation is more attainable when students tight on cash get a hand on used books.

MJ Goodrum, director of Alamance County Public Libraries, said the May Memorial Library 27th annual book sale is the bibliophiles' place to go.

"(The sale) is great in this economy when things are so expensive and there's not a lot of money for people to spend on leisurely things," Goodrum said. "It's a fun way to support library services and get some really good books."

The sale, hosted by Friends of Alamance County Public Libraries, started Sept. 9 and continues until Sept. 20. It's held in Burlington at the historic May Memorial Library, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2012.

Debbie Gunyan, co-chair of the sale, said students are encouraged to come because of the availability of books for both school and leisure that range from $1.50 to $3.

"They're not going to find a better deal on books or with finding books they love to read," Gunyan said. "They can just stock up and get ready for school by filling up their rooms."

Not only are the books affordable, but all of the proceeds go back into the library to support various programs and other agencies in the community.

"Part of the money goes to the library collection, but we also supply money for all the movie programs, summer reading programs and author visits," Gunyan said. "We also supply for Alamance Reads in the summer to get as many people as possible to all read the same book."

But the most remarkable aspect of the sale, Gunyan said, is the dedication of the library's volunteers. She said volunteers spend a total of 600 hours preparing for the sale and then spend an additional 500 hours during the sale itself.

"We have everyone helping out, from young people to teachers to retired people," Gunyan said. "You meet a lot of individuals who give up their time because they're here to have fun and because they love to read."

Goodrum said the message sent by the library is significant because libraries provide access to information and technology for all types of people, serving as an equalizer between the "haves" and the "have nots."

"I like connecting information to people, and that's what libraries do," Goodrum said. "It's really important in a democracy that there are places where people who have a billion dollars versus people with nothing can go and have access to computers, books, magazines or movies."