At least 30 of the hundreds of people who took advantage of the Cape Girardeau Public Library's annual book sale Saturday and Sunday were youngsters who face limited opportunities to use the facility.

The Southeast Area of Cape Girardeau Association (SEA of Cape) Sunday took a group of about 30 youths from that section of town to the library sale.

SEA of Cape sponsors provided funds for the children to buy used books and for a donation to the library's $100,000 bookmobile drive.

Mary Blackman, president of the neighborhood association, said the event is well-suited to the first of SEA of Cape's 10 organizational goals: to increase library membership.

"It's to awaken our kids about reading and getting to know about the library," Blackman said. "They don't get to see the library that often, and this is an excellent chance for them to get to see what the library has to offer."

She said the association also has planned other activities for youths, including participation in Southeast Missouri State's summer youth program.

They also will take field trips this summer to Trail of Tears State Park and will work to clear debris from a 1.6-mile stretch of Highway 74 near its intersection with West End Boulevard.

"That's part of environmental awareness we try to teach the kids," Blackman said.

Bernice Coar Cobb, also a member of the association, said SEA of Cape was established two years ago when residents went to City Hall to urge the city to support their neighborhood beautification efforts.

"We visited the city council to let them know we really wanted to clean up the area," she said. "Since then, we've become more organized and are really working to become more active in our community."

Other goals of Sea of Cape include increased involvement and participation in: areas school PTAs; university, school and church affiliations; cultural arts activities; civic responsibility; healthy lifestyles through exercise and recreation; holistic skill development; and use of social services.

Travis Scales, 10, and Brooks Sides, 12, both browsed through the tables at the library Sunday looking for books, which sold for a quarter or 50 cents each. Sides chose a book about motorcycles.

Kristina Johnson, 11, bought a book and two cassette tapes. "I don't get to go to the library very often," she said. "I like the chance to come out here. I want to come back."

Terry Risko, manager of the library, said he thinks a new bookmobile for the city is the key to providing library service to children on the city's southeast side.

"I think if people don't really look at the needs of all the residents, they're going to have problems in a town like this," Risko said. "The bookmobile is the only way to serve people in these outlying or in-lying areas.

"I think it's a real inexpensive way to move 5,000 books into areas of the city where (people) aren't always able to get over here and use the library."

Risko said serving south and southeast Cape Girardeau was one of the reasons he's urged the purchase of a bookmobile.

"For $100,000, I don't think you can add to the quality of life in a community for any less," he said. "And it's only a one-time shot; it's not something that's going to keep costing you a bunch of money after that initial cost."