I volunteered in our local hospital for over 28 years, and by the time I left we had a thriving gift shop. We also had used books for sale cheap, and they sold briskly. Folks who had to come and sit for hours and days in waiting rooms could read and pass the time away reading. Some of them even gave us back the books when they left with their patients.
Romances didn't go quite as fast as mysteries, and we had a few others that surprised us by selling easily, such as woodworking and doll crafting.
I donated lots of my late DH's more literate library to our local Senior Citizen's group that has a lovely building and a thriving library in it. They don't sell the books, lend them and lots go there just for the companionship and to read in comfort.