Annual book sale set for Aug. 11-13
Two months into her role as executive director of the Greenville Literacy Association, Victoria Novak has had more than 65 meetings and spent countless hours studying 58 years of history. With all of that support and knowledge, her goal is to make GLA one of the nation’s top literacy organizations as organizers prepare for the 22nd annual Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap Book Sale.
“It’s the biggest, best book sale with the longest name,” Novak says of GLA’s primary fundraiser. All proceeds go toward programs, and one Novak hopes to grow is the GED (General Education Diploma) program, leading learners toward economic mobility and self-sufficiency. She notes that Greenville County has 40,000 residents who don’t have high school diplomas and GLA serves anyone in the community, regardless of basic literacy levels.
Poring over GLA’s past, Novak is inspired by many success stories.
“J.T. Pace was a former student who became one of the country’s foremost literacy advocates,” Novak says. “More recently, we had a student who suffered a spinal injury and had to change careers.
He attended classes in a wheelchair, went on to ECPI University, and is a dedicated volunteer who recently joined GLA’s board of directors.”
Novak has done her homework and is now looking forward to a new chapter in GLA history. Her goals include a $250,000 development plan and procedures that will ensure long-term continuity and momentum. She starts most days amid stacks of books, reading a few select pages around 7 a.m. and preparing for a future that looks “really good.”
For more information on GLA programs or the book sale, visit greenvilleliteracy.org.
