Secondhand Prose is the Friends of the Canton Public Library's used book store. Staffed by volunteers, the store features books and more as donated to Canton Public Library.

Before 2001, the Friends hosted an annual book sale in the library's "community room," raising funds used by the Friends to support library causes. Following a renovation and expansion of the library building in 2001, the annual sale became a year-round bookstore in the back of the building.

The store features Mobile Aisle shelving on a rolling rack system (ie. moving shelves) that allow the store to have lots of books in a small space. They're a lot of fun to play with.

Location and Hours

1200 S Canton Center Rd, Canton, MI 48188 (located within the Canton Public Library)

Specials and Sales

The store features monthly specials on particular formats or genres. These are announced on a monthly basis on the Friends' blog.

There is also a bag sale on the last consecutive Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of a given month. During the bag sale, you can fill a bag with books and purchase the lot for $5. Some restrictions may apply.

Every Tuesday, the store is open to Friends members only. This is the day that newly-donated items are added to the collection, so competition to find the new additions is fierce. Book resellers and collectors tend to line up before 2:00 PM, membership documentation in hand, ready to find valuable books when the store opens. On this day, memberships to the Friends are available at the door.