The Alcove was opened by The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in April 1982 to give the public an opportunity to buy good, used books at a low price and to raise money for new materials for the library. From the onset, the Alcove has been staffed by volunteers. These volunteers bring a love of books and a wealth of experience and dedication to their job. The Alcove inventory comes mostly from books donated by the public, but also from library collection withdrawals.
Prices range from ten cents for magazines to one dollar for hardback books and records.
An occasional set of encyclopedias or unusual book may be priced a few dollars more. The romance novel readers, interior decorators buying books by the shelf for displays, antique book lovers who come in daily in search of that one book to complete a set or a collection, students looking for bargain textbooks and foreigners wanting reading materials to learn English. Their stories make up the fascinating, fun anecdotes collected by the volunteers who find joy and excitement in serving their diverse clientele. Thanks to Andrew's Alcove thousands of much-needed dollars are added to the library's book budget each year. Home Library Catalog Article Search Web Subject Guide Internet Search Send additions and corrections to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh .