Libraries marketing co-ordinator Kay Mercer said 10 city library staff were set to shift more than 14,000 books from the library's second floor to its basement car park today for the library's three-day Biggest Ever Booksale, which starts tomorrow.
''It's like a military exercise.''
The book sale had been held at the library since the late 1980s and had never been bigger.
Members of the Friends of the Library association could preview the sale stock between noon and 2pm tomorrow and the car park would be open for sales between 4pm and 8pm. The sale also runs between 10am and 4pm on Saturday and 10am and 3pm on Sunday.
Most adults books were $1, children's books were 50c and magazines 20c. Other sale items included CDs, DVDs, posters, art prints, music scores and topographical maps.
Some people filled empty vans with books, Mrs Mercer said.
LandSAR volunteers would hold a sausage sizzle at the sale and rescue readers who got lost in the literature.
