Open: Monday-Saturday; 11 AM-5 PM 

The Read Before Bookstore

–Purveyors of Gently Used Readables

The Read Before Bookstore is a used bookstore located inside the Library, wholly operated by volunteers under the guidance of the Library Advisory Board. All materials in the bookstore are donations from the community or library discards. Proceeds from the store are used to fund library programming and special projects.

The store carries a large selection of books by popular authors as well as children’s books,  vintage books, magazines, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks, and an assortment of puzzles, games, and miscellaneous items.

Like-new, recently published books are priced at $2.00-$5.00 each. Older books are priced by the inch–$0.50 per inch for hardcover books and $0.25 per inch for softcover books. Inventory changes daily.

Donations of clean, odor-free, gently used books are always welcome and can be left at the bookstore during its operating hours. If a receipt is needed for tax purposes, please ask for one at the time of donation. Remember that the bookstore is volunteer-run and limited on storage space.  It is best to speak with the bookstore volunteers before bringing really large donations to the library to make sure there is space to accommodate your items.  We also do not have staff available to lift and move heavy boxes, so it is best to bring help or pack items in smaller, manageable boxes or bags.

Bookstore hours

  • Monday          11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday         11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday     11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Thursday        11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Friday            11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday        11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Sunday           Closed

Note: Because the bookstore is run by volunteers, it is open only when a volunteer is available to work. Hours can vary from those posted above.

Donation Guidelines

The bookstore accepts the following items:

  • Clean, gently-used books
  • Current magazines from the previous 12 months
  • College textbooks less than 5 years old
  • DVDs and Music CDs
  • Complete puzzles and board games

The following items are NOT accepted:

  • Items in poor, soiled, or damaged condition
  • VHS tapes
  • Audiobook CDs
  • Burned/copied DVDs and CDs
  • Encyclopedias 
  • Children’s toys (other than complete board games and puzzles)
  • Textbooks from SCUCISD or other public school districts

Interested in Volunteering?

Our bookstore is operated entirely by dedicated volunteers. Interested in joining the team? Contact the Library at 210-619-1700, or fill out a volunteer application and send it to librarian@schertz.com.