The poster was a bit vague and subject to different interpretations.
The Batley Library in Wales, U.K., saw dozens, maybe hundreds of books taken from its shelves in one of the more bizarre misunderstandings seen lately. The Friends of the Batley Library were holding a book sale to help fund raise for a campaign to save their over a century old Carnegie Library. They created a poster announcing “Fill-A-Bag” Book Sale on Friday October 6 and Saturday October 7. For £1 (about $1.20) you could fill up a bag of books to keep “and that's it!!!” It turned out there was a lot more to it than meets the eye.
All went well on Friday. However, that evening, some people posted a misinterpretation on social media. The Friends had a table of books from which to make a purchase. Some posters thought that the library was permanently closing and disposing of all their books. So, they posted that for £1 a bag, you could take any books off the library shelves. The people came, filled up their bags with books that were not for sale and belonged to operator Kirklees Libraries, not the Friends. Apparently, some people ignored warnings that only the books on the sale table could be purchased.
The manager of the sale, Steve McGrath, explained what had happened on a posting on the Batley Matters Facebook page, saying, “This was a book sale by The Friends of Batley Library, not Kirklees Libraries on Friday and Saturday. Friday's sale went well but Saturday's sale was sabotaged by misinformed Facebookers. Far too many people filled their bags with actual library books from the library shelves, not from the sales tables, even though I stood on the balcony, ringing a bell and constantly telling people that it was only the books on the tables that were for sale.
“The people who decimated the Children's library, Adult Fiction, Graphic Novels and Cookery sections of books, have actively stolen Kirklees libraries stock.
“This was atrocious behaviour by some who, through social media, decided that all stock was available to take regardless of my continued announcements. Even arguing and quoting the internet posts saying fill a bag for a pound.
“This wasn't a purge of books from a closing down library, as some used it as. It was a regular Book Sale fundraiser, to provide Batley Library events for our children and customers.
“People were even seen putting Lego from our Library Lego Club in their bags to take. It was like the worst of all jumble sales.
“I am shocked, saddened, and disappointed that this happened. People were still turning up at 4:30 onwards with bags to fill on the understanding that all books including library books were for sale. The Friends of Batley Library, not Kirklees Libraries never said that this was the case but people took it upon themselves to help themselves.
This is the negative power of sharing and adding your own comments on social media. That can happen, but to still continue to steal current Kirklee's stock, once informed of the actual books involved in the sale is wrong!
I've lost my faith in humanity slightly today. I try to do as much as I can for this wider community and although, I have been ridiculed by work professionals for my passion, I still dedicate myself to providing positive experiences for the generations.”
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Galileo Galilei. Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo tolemaico, e copernicano. Firenze, 1632
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Saverio Manetti. Storia naturale degli uccelli. Firenze, 1771-76
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Fortunato Depero. Depero futurista. Rovereto, 1927
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Nicolas Visscher. Atlas minor sive totius orbis terrarum contracta delineat ex conatibus. Amsterdam, circa 1649-95
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Andreas Vesalius. Anatomia. Addita nunc. Antiquorum Anatome. Venezia, 1604
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Tristan Tzara and Salvador Dalì. Grains et Issues. Parigi, 1935
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.
Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.
Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.
Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.
Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.
Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 123. Celebrate 250 Years of Independence with Original Stars and Stripes (1790) Est. $1,400 - $1,700
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 20. Keulen's Spectacular Chart of the World Featuring California as an Island (1728) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 42. Schedel's Ancient World Map with Fantastic Humanoid Creatures (1493) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 591. Matching Set of 3 Stunning Globe Gores of Eastern Asia from Coronelli's 3.5 Foot Globe (1688) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 9. Speed's Popular World Map with Allegorical Representations of the Elements (1651) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 168. First Separate Map of Kansas & Nebraska Territories (1854) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 43. Only Macrobius Map with Britain Attached to Europe (1515) Est. $800 - $950
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 250. Rare Map of Boston and One of the Earliest Maps of the Revolutionary War (1775) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 79. Schenk's Uncommon Map Featuring Two Figurative Title Cartouches (1696) Est. $1,200 - $1,500
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 681. Hand-Colored Image of the Annunciation to the Shepherds (1502) Est. $800 - $950
Sotheby's Book Week 2 June - 9 July
Sotheby’s, June 25: Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations, on its 250th anniversary. $180,000 to $250,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Fontana, Lucio. Concetto Spaziale. 1967. Leporello en papier doré. Bel exemplaire signé. €4,000 to $€,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”. $150,000 to $200,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Washington, George (as First President). Washington decries “an ostentatious imitation, or mimickry of Royalty” in his Presidency. $250,000 to $500,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Lope de Vega. Rare manuscrit autographe signé de la préface dédicatoire de "El Cardenal de Belen" (le cardinal de Bethléem), pièce composée en 1610. €40,000 to €60,000.
