Friends of the Library of Hawaii

Friendly volunteers/staff. Recycle items and support a good cause. Lots of treasures here if you look.

Just left their pop-up at Ward today with 4 books! They'll be at Ward today and next weekend (Jan 21-22).There's lots of selection, it's well organized, and with a smooth check out process. Prices are much more practical than Book-off! Found a couple gems of local cookbook finds that I doubt Pinterest would even have. Check them out and support your libraries (:

I've never been to the friends of the library of Hawaii warehouse until today. I've been to their book sales at McKinley and Washington middle several times, though. At their regular book sales that happen during the summer, you can find all kinds of books, CDs and even records. It's definitely a treasure hunt and you can spend hours searching through the boxes of books for interesting finds. Now, with covid, they don't have in person sales. Instead, you can shop online for used books. I can't imagine how much work it is to put this stuff online. The volunteers and staff who work here work hard and are so friendly. Today I was invited to their warehouse to select books for my classroom. :) everyone was so nice and I got like 100 books for free! My students will be so happy! Thank you Friends of the Library of Hawaii!!

FLoH is Located in Iwilei, a few turns past Lowes, in the Iwilei Business Center. It's easy to find and you don't have to pay for parking (or I didn't, as I just went through to pick up a book). If you have any trouble, call them. Darlene was super helpful and had great customer service. The warehouse itself is closed to the public, but you can purchase a book for pick up from their online site. Go online, find the book (or movie or CD) you want, wait three days, and then head down (no, they won't email you when it's ready to pick it up). I was in and out of the driveway in about 5 minutes without hassle. They also have a location in Ward (with potentially more stock), but I prefer the convince of this option.

On the occasion of its 70th anniversary, time to list this annual book sale in Yelp for the benefit of residents and visitors alike. I AM a fan, since the 1980s when I discovered this immense sale held every summer in the McKinley High School Cafeteria. Been buying tons of books there ever since. They also carry CDs, DVDs, and assorted other items, like sheet music, the occasional magazine, and maps. There are also many foreign language books, and other media, primarily Japanese and Chinese, but I also noticed a larger collection of Vietnamese books near the Dictionary section this year. The categories are clearly marked, and tend to be in the same area year after year, but a volunteer greeter at the door can give you a map of the layout, if needed. It's good browsing and hunting. Many folks have switched to electronic books, but I haven't been able to make that leap. Besides, there are many titles here that will never be digitized, so enjoy the archaeological dig! If you're as big a bibliophile as I am, grab an empty box on the way in to haul your treasures. Or bring bags or backpacks. There may be reusable bags for sale at the counter. Some sale veterans can be seen with their own carts. Books are heavy. There is no AC, so a hand fan is must, especially during the day. Didn't see water for sale the first night, there usually is, but bring your own, just to be sure. There used to be a school water fountain behind where the greeter sits. Some food trucks used to set up outside, but those have been dwindling over the last few years. Patronage seems to be down, too. Wonder why. Lower numbers can't all be about digital books and on-line shopping. This is instant gratification time! Dates and times vary. It used to be held in May, then June, now July. It starts on a Saturday and ends two Sundays after. There are preview days for Friends of the Library members. Times are listed on the webpage and vary between weekend and workweek days. The last two weekend days, are usually discount days, a percentage off, or everything 50 cents. Thought one year it was everything you could fit in a shopping bag you bought there for a flat rate, but no more. I believe it's cash only. Parking is free in the adjacent lot(s), depending on how crowded it gets. There's also a bus stop right by the McKinley Community School building and the entrance to the parking lot, a short walk to the cafeteria. Follow the signs and cars. Restrooms are in another school building off the parking lot, a short walk away. A few constructive criticisms. I understand sale personnel are volunteers, but that does not account for treating buyers suspiciously and rudely. Of course, our whole society gets ruder by the hour any more and I can give as good as I get, which only escalates the gross national rude quotient logarithmically. The first time I checked out last night, the young man who tallied up my selection was nice enough. The second time, the woman assisting the guy tallying up my books kept leaning over the table to try and see if I was smuggling more books out in my box. Really "Friends" of the Library? Is that necessary? What's next? Pat downs? Wanding? X-Rays? Will TSA be called in? The next volunteer who does that to me is getting the empty box displayed to their face! If only I had thought to do that last night. I am not going quietly into this terrible night. Sadly, I recall an America, a Hawai'i, that was far better than this. Most of your books cost one frickin' dollar and are donated, so the cost of goods is not that high (Chaminade MBA). Are times that tough? And something happened last year, that I can't recall, except that an argument ensued, and my not returning for the rest of the sale. I am not a shoplifter and I'm not a counterfeiter; don't need or want to be, and I resent being treated like one. And, unless I add up all my purchases first, I trust you're not ripping me off. Or are you? Trust and distrust are separate two-way streets. One is safe, bright and clean; the other is dirty, dark and treacherous. It's not only insulting, but people get angry to cover up hurt. Figure that out, please. And counsel your volunteers accordingly. In fact, most of the retail workforce could learn that, too. Unless you're already counseling your volunteers that we're all a bunch of suspicious, conniving thieves. Also, I recently bought building materials at a recycling center and paid no GET (sales tax). When I asked, I was told it was a non-profit and they don't charge GET. You're a non-profit. Now it's the weekend, so I can't call the tax office downtown to confirm this, but if true, why are you charging GET? Just asking. Update to follow.

We've come to the book sale the past few years at McKinnely HS. They have TONS of books, CDs, comics, etc. Usually, my siblings will find some amazing finds and deals here. As for me, I like to browse to see what they have. I do enjoy reading, but unless I find something I really want I will just tend to look around.I will admit, I love looking through their fiction, CDs, and cookbook sections. I really try to find see if they have any good local cookbooks. This year, I actually found a great local cookbook for $3. You can't beat that price for a nice hardcover, SCORE!This booksale is definitely something everyone should check out, espeically those that love books, cds, or just enjoy finding a good deal. It's probably the best to go the first day. Even though, the last day their books are 50 cents there isn't much selection. Parking isn't horrible, but it's packed. The book are located in the cafeteria, it's crowded with a lot of people browsing around. Payment was quick and easy.

The Friends of the Library of Hawaii Annual Booksale at McKinley High School Cafeteria is by far, the best and largest book sale on Oahu. It runs for about a week long. I make it a point to visit every year. Most books are used (donated or withdrawn from library) and some are brand new. Everything is organized neatly in sections like "Art," "Self-Help," "Cookbooks," and the volunteers even hand out a map of the entrance so you can plan your attack. They also have CDs and artwork for sale. I picked up a stack of books ranging from $0.50 on the low end to $4 on the "high" end. My total for 5 books, including 2 of which are hardcover popular titles, was $10. Knowledge at bargain prices.The annual book sale is currently in progress for 2 more days, so don't miss out!Fri 6/26 11am-8pm 50% off everythingSat 6/27 9am-8pm Everything 50 cents (Ailana Shave Ice will be there)P.S. This year the entrance is on the left side of the cafeteria.P.P.S. If you're a Friends of the the Library of Hawaii member or Hawaii State Federal Credit Union member, you have early access to the sale (2 days early for FLH, 1 day early for HSFCU).

I'm not ashamed to admit it...I'm a bone fide bookworm and for us bookworms, there is no better place to go than a FOTLH Book Sale! Most folks know about the huge summer book sale at McKinley High School but don't know what happens with the funds raised. The group is over 100 years old and is manned mostly by volunteers year round. They accept donated books, sort them, price them out and of course help to run the book sales. The funds raised are used to buy books for the 50 State libraries in Hawaii. Believe it or not, the State allots funds to build and staff the libraries but not to buy the books. That's where FOTLH comes in where they provide the funds to purchase new books for the libraries. The other question folks have is where do the unsold books go after the sales? Their trusty volunteers pack them up in shipping containers and send them to libraries in Micronesia and the South Pacific who aren't lucky enough to have a group like FOTLH to help them out. We've been working as volunteers for the McKinley Book Sale for about 20 years and always have a good time. I would encourage others to give it a shot. What can one say about their used books? It truly is a treasure hunt and the prices are more than fair compared to used book stores. Here's a few hints for your next visit to an FOTLH book sale (yes they do have more than one and were at Washington Intermediate, 11/7 & 11/8 and will be back 1/16/16 - 1/18/16): First if you find a book you like, look around to see if there are other copies. Different volunteers will price the books at different times so it is possible to get a book in better condition for a lower price. Usually new books will be brought out everyday so it is possible to find a book on a later visit that wasn't put out earlier. Second, If you have a favorite author and their books come in hardback, check out the books to see if you can find any signed by the author (I found a Terry Brooks book filed with other books for sale that was signed by him). Third, if you're into rare books, check out the rare book and collectibles as soon as possible. FOTLH uses Amazon book prices to determine what is considered rare and to set the selling price. Fourth, weekdays or weekday nights are less busy than weekends. Finally, it will get warm in the cafeteria so drink lots of water, bring a cool towel or step outside of the building to cool down once in a while. Last, watch for their sales. During the summer sale, they will have a separate tent outside the cafeteria where certain subjects (i.e. religion, foreign language, military, etc) are discounted from their marked price or different days of the sale will different discounts. Usually the last day of the sale is 50 cents days where all books are 50 cents. For bargain hunters, that's the best day to go. It's great fun and a great place to find books. They also take donations as well so feel free to bring books, CDs, Dvds, puzzles, LPs, artwork, etc that you want to give a new home. Come on down and join the fun!

I ran out of my evening book that I read in bed, so stopped in here for a quicky. The volunteers were helpful and I bought a few paperbacks for next to nothing.They do a good job there, and should be supported by the public.Stop in and buy !