Library Foundation to open used bookstore benefitting HCLS — Help us name it!
The annual used book sale benefitting the Library Foundation of Hancock County was a hit this summer, with over 600 people coming through our Bay St. Louis headquarter doors on the first day alone.
It got some of us thinking, what if we could help people find homes for their donated books and support the library system year-round?
Enter a novel idea (pun completely intended).
The Library Foundation will set up shop right here in Bay St. Louis for anyone to drop by and pick up their next beach read or donate their treasured cookbook collection. Volunteers will be on hand to sort and process donations and sales.
Sign up to volunteer with the Library Foundation to get our used bookstore up and running here.
Executive Director John Brdecka speaks with WLOX during our annual book sale.
While attached to the Bay St. Louis branch, the book store will be its own separate operation, freeing up library staff to continue serving the needs of patrons and visitors during our operating hours.
Here’s where we need your help. We’re hosting a naming contest for this new venture!
To have a chance to see your creative brilliance emblazoned on the doors and windows of our little shop-attached-to-the-library, submit your suggestion below and follow us on social media so you can be a part of the voting process. The winning entry will receive also receive a prize from the Library Foundation for their contribution.
We will choose from the submissions and open voting on December 1, 2025. Until then, we are hard at work bringing this dream to life, with an estimated grand opening in February 2026.
As an added bonus, attendees of our annual HOMEGROWN event will get a ticket giving them the first look at the bookstore and first dibs on the merchandise, so mark your calendar and plan to join us for a day of Q&A, panel sessions, and presentations from local authors January 31, 2026.
HCLS thanks all those who donated materials that will soon fill the shelves of our used bookstore, and the Library Foundation for taking on this project to help grow our library system in new and exciting directions.
