Maui Friends of the Library to open additional nonprofit bookstore in Kīhei

The Maui Friends of the Library seeks volunteers to help open and run a new bookstore planned to serve customers soon in Kīhei.

The MFOL used bookstore will be located at 95 East Lipoa Street in the South Maui Center near Fabiani’s Italian Restaurant and Bakery. The new bookstore will feature gently used books for all ages and interests, as well as a selection of new Hawaiiana books. Another feature will be a large children’s section.

Volunteers are sought to help stock the shelves with the hundreds of books that will be available, and to help cashier sales in the store once it opens.

One of Maui’s oldest nonprofits, Maui Friends of the Library is an all-volunteer organization that has been raising funds to help the Hawaiʻi Public Libraries in the County for more than 100 years. The group operates two other bookstores in Maui, one in Queen Kaʻahumanu Shopping Center and the other in Puʻunēnē just beyond the Sugar Museum. The organization continues to scout for a replacement space in Lahaina, as that store was destroyed by the August wildfires.

“We are excited to be able to provide the community with another bookstore,” said MFOL President Flo Wiger. “We have been dreaming of adding a store in Kīhei for years. Now with our Lahaina Store taken by the fires, it’s even more important for us to have a store in Kīhei. Our warehouse is packed with wonderful books for the Kīhei bookstore,” Wiger said.

Annie Wilson, one of MFOL’s 106 dedicated volunteers, has agreed to manage the Kīhei store.

“Annie is an accountant by trade and has been one of our stalwart volunteers in the Lahaina Store. She lost her home in Lahaina to the fire, and has relocated to Kīhei. We couldn’t be more pleased to have someone with her dedication and skills managing our store,” Wiger said.

MFOL has been a powerhouse for providing extra support for the libraries on Maui.

Through the sale of gently used books donated by the community, the group has been able to purchase a bookmobile to operate throughout the island, sponsor many special programs at the libraries, purchase needed furnishings, provide scholarships for graduate degrees in Library and Information Services, and more. Last year alone the group funded more than $100,000 in requests from the eight public library branches in the County, and the Holoholo Bookmobile.

People interested in volunteering can stop by the Kīhei store between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Applications also are available on line at www.mfol.org, at the Kīhei Public Library, or at MFOL bookstores in Queen Kaʻahumanu Center or Puʻunēnē. Volunteers are asked to work a four-hour sift once a week. Both residents and seasonal visitors are welcome to volunteer.