LIHU‘E — This year’s MLK Day of Service project by the Kaua‘i RSVP, a part of the AmeriCorps Seniors program, did a lot to replenish the Little Free Libraries that are maintained by the Kaua‘i RSVP and Agency on Elderly Affairs.
“We collected more than 300 new and ‘gently-used’ titles for keiki and young adults during the Aloha Library Collection Drive that was the Kaua‘i RSVP MLK Day of Service project,” said Mary Pigao, the Kaua‘i RSVP. “A lot of titles came in during the recent RSVP Recognition Luncheon. We also had people stopping by the office in the Pi‘ikoi Building to drop off titles.”
The collection was being worked on by Kaua‘i RSVP volunteers on Thursday in preparation of sending out the supply shared between the four Little Free Libraries that were created and maintained by the Kaua‘i RSVP volunteers.
There are four locations where the Little Free Libraries are located, including one right outside the Kaua‘i RSVP office door in the Pi‘ikoi Building. Another is situated at the historic county building, another is in front of the Division of Motor Vehicles, and the final one is located in the lobby of the Kuhio Medical Center.
“There is an app for this,” said Teresa Nero of the Agency on Elderly Affairs, and a Girl Scout leader. “It’s downloadable through the Little Free Library website, and it lets you know where the free Little Libraries are located. But, if you use the app, only two of the locations show up — the one at the DMV, and Kuhio Medical Center. The Girl Scouts who created the libraries and turned them over to the Kaua‘i RSVP knew this, and that’s why they show up on the app.”
The advantage of being included on the app allows users to interact with the library by dropping off material that can be used at the different library locations, or gaining user feedback through the comments made on the interactive app.
Pigao said that is material the new volunteer coordinator can use to maintain the Little Free Library.
“One of the Kaua‘i RSVP volunteers, Shaku Coan, was helping with the collection of books during the luncheon,” Pigao said. “She was impressed with the number and variety of books being brought in, and offered to help the program by watching the individual libraries, helping restock, and other chores.”
Coan, who was helping with the sorting and preparation of the books, said, “You just have to love books.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
