Bargains Saturday at Princeville ‘cocktail hour’

PRINCEVILLE — Readers, get ready.

The Friends of the North Shore Library at Princeville will host the first of four book sales Saturday.

“The first few hours, this place looks like a cocktail hour,” said Jennifer Relacion, the acting librarian for the Princeville library. “There are so many people who are waiting when the doors open.”

Avid readers are smart — they become “friends” who have the benefit of being able to shop about an hour before the doors open to the public.

“Friends can shop from 9 a.m. The public hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” said Barbara Smith, president of the Friends of the North Shore Library at Princeville. “But watch out, there are people crawling over each other when the doors open.”

Smith said the event is a collaboration between the friends, the library volunteers and the library staff.

The book sale is always a good place to find bargains in current and up-to-date publications, Smith said.

Some of the bargains to be had include Hawaiiana hardback books at $3 apiece, paperbacks are a dollar and videos sell for $3.

Most hardbacks are $1 each, while most paperbacks can be had for 25 cents apiece, or five for $1.

Additionally, bargain hunters can get DVDs, CDs, videotapes or books on tape for $2 each. More vintage music aficionados can get records for $1 each.

And if that isn’t enough to whet the appetite, there are jigsaw puzzles for $2 apiece.

Smith said the proceeds go to benefit the many programs hosted by the friends.

Beyond the funding for community programs, Smith said some of the funds are distributed to the library, to supplement its monthly budget.

“Jennifer does a great job getting more books, periodicals or DVDs in addition to the state funding,” Smith said.

Along with the services provided by the library’s two full-timers and three part-timers, Smith said, volunteer help is irreplaceable.

“They’re truly dedicated and committed,” she said. “They show up every week and go through the library, processing titles, checking to see where everything is and making sure we don’t have too much of something, or not enough of other things.”

Some of the surplus titles account for the inventory at the book sale. Others come from previous customers who picked up five or six titles at a previous sale and are done with them, she said.

“They usually bring them back in time to be put back on sale,” Smith said, noting she does this practice as a way of being able to read a lot. “Others buy their own books at places like Border’s, and once they’ve gone through them, turn them in. This is how we get a lot of the current titles that we can put out at bargain prices.”

Smith said programs at Princeville include a new outreach program with the Hanalei Community Center and Hanalei School to encourage children to read.

“We give books to the library, and are planning on giving books to the school, which they can use for their Market Days program,” Smith said.

Dotty Nakea heads up the Speakers Program hosted by the friends, Smith said.

On March 14, the friends will host Sabra Kauka, who will speak on the Keahualaka Heiau and Hula Kahiko starting at 6:30 p.m.

Smith said under this program, they’ve featured speakers like Jean Souza, who did a presentation on humpback whales, and Dr. Carl Berg, who spoke about the Hanalei Watershed.

“We’ve had speakers on all kinds of topics relating to the North Shore,” Smith said.

A new book club will be starting March 28 under the leadership of Judy Potts, Smith said. The program meets each fourth Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

“We want people to be able to discuss things,” Smith said.

The programs are in addition to the volunteer recognition programs, the Summer Reading Program headed by Jeananne Flaherty, and the Saturday Keiki Reading program.

All of this is highlighted April 14 when the library celebrates its eighth anniversary.

Smith said the knowledge gained from reading can open up the world, or hone in on the beauty of a flower.

“It all starts with reading,” she said.