Enjoy old books? Gloucester County Historical Society is selling 1,500 that date to the mid-1800s

The Gloucester County Historical Society has been adding books to its collections since it was founded in 1903 — meaning it is long overdue for a clean out. 

"When (local historians) pass, they don't just have 10 books, they have like 400 books," said Hoag Levins, the board member who chairs the historical society's publications committee. "It's very common that they leave their whole collections to the Gloucester County Historical Society."

The historical society,  is hosting a book sale on Sept. 21-22. More than 1,500 books dating back to the mid-1800s will be available. The books for sale are all duplicates or not directly relevant to the history of Gloucester County.

The historical society, at 17 Hunter St. in Woodbury, preserves items that date back to Gloucester County's founding in 1686. Up until the 1800s, the county also included all of Camden and Atlantic counties, and half of Burlington County. That makes the historical society's library one of the most comprehensive resources in the region, Levins said.

Books will be priced individually, ranging from $2 to $25 each. Levins said some books, such as one on the sinking of the Titanic and another on the history of Little Egg Harbor Township, usually are worth more online, but the historical society is asking for lower prices in the hopes of clearing out space. 

The books cover topics that range from local government histories to military strategy to family genealogical data to Glassboro's past as a glass manufacturing hub. 

The historical society's museum also will be open for free tours during the book sale.

"You can come and browse the books, buy some," Levins said. "You can browse all the exhibits in our museum space and directly across the street is Charlie Brown's (Fresh Grill). You can have a nice lunch and make a day of it."