Surrounded by buildings much taller and more pleasing to the eye, the warehouse at 430-B N Main St. is easily overlooked.
But this weekend, the warehouse transformed into the setting for a Gainesville tradition - the biannual Friends of the Library book sale, which kicked off Saturday.
The sale, which offers deals on donated books, as well as videos, records, magazines and other literary treasures, has been going on for more than 50 years. Proceeds benefit local libraries.
"This is for the people who love bargains and for people who love books," said Liz Jones, book sale volunteer chairwoman.
About 300 volunteers work year-round to prepare for first the spring sale and then the fall sale.
"We go six months non-stop to make sure this [event] happens," she said. "We take two weeks to say, 'Whew.' Then we're back at it again."
Although she admits that the process can be challenging and taxing, Jones said that the end result is worth the work.
"I saw a small child who was so excited to find a first edition of 'Gulliver's Travels,'" she said. "That made me happy."
For those with a few minutes and a pocketful of change, most prices were in the bargain range.
But for book connoisseurs which a rich taste, the back section housed finely printed, leather-bound editions.
The rest of the books, which were crammed into towering shelves and narrow cubbies, are organized into subjects ranging from classic literature to cooking.
Most books will be marked down to half of their listed retail value on Tuesday and to 10 cents Wednesday, the final day of the sale.
But not everyone is holding out for the best deals.
More than 1,400 people arrived within the first half hour, and 5,000 to 6,000 people are expected to attend throughout the week, according to book sale volunteers.
As the warehouse hummed with excitement, attendees pillaged the towering piles of literature, grabbing hold of all the Dickens and Dostoevsky that their wicker baskets, laundry hampers or, for those who came unprepared, their hands could hold.
Radha Zanzal, a student at Santa Fe High School, seemed to be losing the battle with the weight of the bargains as her jagged collection of fantasy novels and Disney cassettes swayed back and forth, threatening to fall.
Zanzal has come to the sale for the past two years and describes herself as an avid reader.
She believes the sale is an untapped treasure and plans to come back before it ends.
"I brought around $40, and I just might use it all," she said. "I can't wait for Wendesday."
