LIHU‘E — Doors to the Friends of the Lihu‘e Library Spring Used Book Sale open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and tomorrow in the meeting room of Lihu‘e Public Library. Ann Akama, vice president of the FOLL and
LIHU‘E — Doors to the Friends of the Lihu‘e Library Spring Used Book Sale open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and tomorrow in the meeting room of Lihu‘e Public Library.
Ann Akama, vice president of the FOLL and event chair, said there has been a community of volunteers setting up for the event since Tuesday.
“We had the Leo Club of Kaua‘i High School with their advisors, Al Carbonel and Tahara Stein, who came Tuesday and Wednesday,” Akama said. “But they’ll also be back to help Saturday.”
Joining the volunteer crew are Kaua‘i Fire Department personnel, said Carolyn Larson, the Lihu‘e Public Library librarian.
“There is a new group of volunteers organizing the sale this time around and they have changed things up a bit, so it should be great fun,” she said.
Akama said people from the Pua Loke Community Association, including Carolyn Lum and Colleen Ogino, and some of the FOLL board members have been sorting and setting up for the two-day event.
Lum said she wore multiple hats, being a member of the Kaua‘i Association for Family and Community Education, whose three members wore their distinctive purple shirts while stocking the shelves.
Board member Joy Kouchi said in addition to the assortment of books, CDs, DVDs, the FOLL is offering its T-shirts and fabric shopping bags on special for $11 each to help promote not only the library, but the new website people can visit for latest news from the Lihu‘e Public Library.
“This makes it easy for people who write checks,” Kouchi said. “They make it payable to FOLL.”
Hardbound books are selling for $2, paperback and soft-bound books are $1 each, with a buy-three, get-one-free special. For every six paperbacks purchased, one free one is earned. Children’s books are 75 cents each, DVDs go for $2, single CDs are $2 and multiple CDs are $3, with a large number of special items with each one individually marked.
Kouchi said cash donations for the Friends of the Lihu‘e Public Library are also welcomed and all of the proceeds from the book sale supporting the library.
“A book sale serves several purposes” said Larry Lee, a regular library patron and president of the Friends of Lihu‘e Library, “First, it is a way to recycle books … (and it) is also a community building event. … (and) used books sales are currently the main fundraising activity of the Friends of Lihu‘e Library.”
The Friends organization advocates for the library and raises fund to support programs, such as summer reading programs and helping to pay for equipment and supplies that are not easily covered by the shifting state budget, Lee said.
Kaua‘i High School Leo Club showed up on Wednesday after school to help move boxes of books to the sale room and firefighters from the Lihu‘e Fire Station arrived Thursday morning to move tables and sort books.
There was also a cadre of regular library volunteers who came out to help with the book sorting. Ann Akama, vice-president of the Friends of Lihu‘e Library was glowing with praise for her handy helpers.
“This is just wonderful to see everyone coming together to help the library,” she said. “Everyone has something great to offer.”
The Lihu‘e Public Library is located at 4344 Hardy St. in Lihu‘e, across from Elsie Wilcox Elementary School and adjacent to the St. Michael’s All Angels Episcopal Church.
Call 241-3222 for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
