NEAR NORTH SIDE — Who has too many books? The Newberry Library, although it would never say so.
Instead, the library just fills almost every room on its first floor with donated books for its 33rd annual Book Fair this weekend at 60 W. Walton St.
Thousands of used books will be sold for as little as $3 or less, divided in rooms and areas by fiction, nonfiction and various other subjects. And it doesn't necessarily pay to get there first, as the books are replenished throughout the weekend.
Hours are noon-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
That said, it never fails to turn out a crowd in the early going, and a special Book Preview Night kicked the weekend off Wednesday evening with an invitation-only affair for the library's President's Fellows and Newberry Associates.
The weekend's events also include the Bughouse Square Debates from noon-4 p.m. Saturday on what is basically the library's front lawn, Washington Square Park, 901 N. Clark St.
"Louder Than a Bomb" founder Kevin Coval will receive the John Peter Altgeld Freedom of Speech Award at 1:15 p.m, other debaters compete for the coveted Dill Pickle Award, and in what's described as the Main Debate at 1:30 p.m. former DNAinfo staffer Darryl Holliday goes toe to toe with the Tribune's Mary Wisniewski on the issue, "What Constitutes Legitimate Journalism in a Hyper-Connected World?"
