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Hundreds of Arlington residents packed backpacks and headed to Arlington Central Library for its semiannual book sale, where 302 Friends of the Arlington Library members entered within five minutes of Thursday’s 3 p.m. opening.

The members-only first day typically attracts book dealers hunting for inventory and rare discoveries. The sale opened to the public Friday through Sunday, with teachers and librarians receiving 50% discounts Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, everything was half price for all shoppers.

Arlington Director of Libraries Diane Kresh joined the search Friday afternoon. Her selections included Essie Chambers’ “Swift River” and Kate Atkinson’s “Big Sky,” a book she had already read but enjoyed enough to want her own copy. She also found a puzzle for her wife.

“It keeps everyone happy,” Kresh said.

Shopper Mark Aicklein had already filled his backpack after arriving in search of Hegel and finding some Dr. Seuss books along the way. He said he particularly enjoys used books containing another reader’s underlining because the markings create a sense of companionship—and sometimes disagreement.

“They always underline the wrong thing,” Aicklein said. “So I also get a debate.”

Another regular shopper returned to the puzzle and game table with a full backpack that included a book about Singapore, where he had once been stationed as a Financial Times reporter. He said he attends every library sale and obtains most of his books there.

Months of preparation go into the event, according to sale coordinator Martin Pippin. During sale week, volunteers begin Monday by moving 1,500 boxes from storage. They unload about 700 boxes Tuesday and unpack roughly 700 on Wednesday, when approximately 40 volunteers stock the shelves—with occasional breaks fueled by Old Dominion Pizza.

History ranks among the most popular of the sale’s roughly 40 categories, with children’s books close behind. The children’s section alone has 12 categories organized for different ages and interests.

The broader selection ranges from travel books, foreign-language titles and blank journals to hardcover fiction, trade books and puzzles. One notable find was a 125-year-old Kipling volume tucked into a larger collection of the author’s work.

After each sale, remaining books are sold or donated. The next event then begins from scratch with donations collected since the previous sale.

“There are a lot of books,” Pippin said. “People really like to read.”