Newsmaker
Monday, July 14, 1997
Name: Caroline B. Dvojacki
Age: 44
Education: Honolulu Business College
Occupation: Executive Director, Friends of the Library
Relaxation: Volunteering
For a "special events addict," as Caroline B. Dvojacki calls herself, organizing the huge annual book sale at McKinley High School is just another everyday activity. True friend of the libraries
Dvojacki, Friends of the Library of Hawaii's executive director, spends her workday raising and disbursing money for Hawaii's libraries.
In her free time, Dvojacki volunteers for the First Night committee, organizes plant sales, scout camp-outs, auctions and the national philanthropy convention to name a few of her activities.
"I guess I do about one special event a month," Dvojacki said.
For now, though, Dvojacki is busy picking up books for the group's book sale, now in its 50th year, from July 19-26.
"We take books from people who don't want them and offer them to people who do," Dvojacki said. "Nobody, I think, wants to throw away books."
The annual used book sale is the largest in the country, Dvojacki said. People never tire of giving up their books, and the Friends never run short of donations.
"It's all word of mouth," Dvojacki said. "We don't call or advertise. It's been 50 years now. People more or less know that there's a big book sale, even though they might not know who puts it on."
This year's sale, Dvojacki said, will feature a large collection of cookbooks in very good shape donated by the family of a collector who recently died.
Friends of the Library of Hawaii, founded in 1879, is the oldest and most active Friends of Library groups in the country, donating thousands of dollars to the state library system and to scholarships for aspiring librarians.
By Candace Meierdiercks, Star-Bulletin
