Listen up, book lovers.

The volunteers who put on the state's biggest book sale every summer are now offering cheap, gently used books for sale year-round.

In January, the Friends of the Library of Hawai'i quietly opened its "bookmobile" in Kaka'ako. Byrde Cestare, executive director of the Friends, said the bookmobile is the first step toward the organization opening a larger, store-front bookstore. They just need space to set up shop — a significant obstacle since they can't afford much rent.

"We want a year-round book sale, while still keeping the annual book sale," Cestare said. "This is our first semi-permanent bookstore."

The bookmobile, on loan from the state library system, isn't mobile.

Cestare said she has its drive shaft in her office, and had to have the vehicle towed to Kaka'ako from Kane'ohe, where it was in storage for seven years.

But you can find a lot of books there — more than 2,200. There are also CDs, DVDs, videos, records, books on tapes and magazines.

Best of all, the shelves are always getting replenished from the nonprofit's massive warehouse next door, where thousands of donated books from libraries across the state and private citizens are dropped off.

The warehouse is also the staging area for the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale at McKinley High School in June, which includes more than 100,000 books. Proceeds of both the bookmobile and the annual sale go to state libraries in the Islands. Last year, the sale grossed $172,000.

Cestare said the bookmobile isn't yet a big money-maker for the organization since it doesn't get a lot of foot traffic. There were two people in the bookmobile yesterday morning, shortly after it opened.

Downtown resident Stewart Ono, who was browsing through the mysteries, said he goes to the annual Friends sale every year and was curious when he saw the bookmobile on a recent drive through Kaka'ako.

He stopped in quickly for the first time yesterday and said he would probably be back again soon. "There's a big need for something like this," he said. "There are a lot of books that are out of print."

The organization refurbished the bookmobile with an $11,000 donation, which covered the installation of a new air-conditioning system and a thorough cleaning to get rid of years of built-up mold and dust.

The bookmobile is one of five the state owns, Cestare said.

Two are on the Neighbor Islands, acting as mini-libraries in rural areas, and the vehicles on O'ahu are no longer in use, she said.

Cestare said many other state libraries have bookstores, which give people a chance to buy good-as-new books at a big discount. Many of the books discarded from Hawai'i libraries are in good condition, she said.

But there is only so much space on the shelves.

"We are an incredible recycling project," Cestare said.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.