Hawaii celebrates National Bookmobile Day with gratitude for Oahu nonprofit

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - April 17 is National Bookmobile Day!

Hawaii Literacy, a program with a bookmobile that currently serves youth on the Waianae Coast, is using the day to share its story.

The nonprofit is on a mission to improve literacy in Oahu’s underserved communities. Often times, that looks like bringing the library to them.

”In 2023, the program served 6,500 children and parents and gifted or lent 16,300 books. The Bookmobile has a proven track record of reaching low-income families, mostly in public housing, rural areas, and family homeless shelters, who have less access to books, tablets, learning resources, or educational support outside school, and who, for financial or transportation reasons, do not use or access the public library system,” said Jill Takasaki-Canfield, Executive Director of Hawaii Literacy.

There is a section in the bookmobile specifically for place-based, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander books.

”It’s beyond important to have these types of books, these types of stories available to our underserved communities,” said Rina Moefu, Family Literacy Program Manager for Hawaii Literacy.

The nonprofit is hoping to raise $20,000 in April to power the bookmobile.

The bookmobile may be Hawaii Literacy’s most visible program, but the organization also has programs for adults. They believe it’s never too late for an adult to learn how to read and write.

They even have a digital literacy program which include free basic computer classes for adults and children.

For more information on Hawaii Literacy, click here.