FLWRHI.ORG
SCAM EMAIL going out and around from "Retired Americans" Be Aware!
The Friends of the Library Waikoloa Region is wanting to let you know that there is a SCAM Email going out about Approval for the Waikoloa Public Library. It was brought to our attention by one of our FLWR Board members so we are sharing with our readers here in Chapters. They send an email out like a survey and then continue to follow up to see why no response if you don't respond. They've sent it to some people THREE times. This is not from Friends of the Library or the State Librarian and doesn't have anything to do with approval for the Waikoloa Library.
If you receive this type of an email from Cinfo@e.retiredamericanspac.org or anything similar to this we urge you to not respond or click on it.
The Waikoloa Library is Coming!
From the State's Public Works Division. They have formally posted the project (Project Number 11-36-6546) to its upcoming bids list on May 19, 2026.
Public Works Division - Hawaii.gov
Here are the key details from the solicitation:
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Bid Opening Date: Scheduled for July 16, 2026.
Public Works Division - Hawaii.gov
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Availability: The official plans and specifications are currently available for download via the state's procurement portal for interested contractors.
Public Works Division - Hawaii.gov
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Scope: This follows Governor Josh Green's release of the $21 million in Capital Improvement Project (CIP) funding last month (April 2026). The bidding documents cover the full construction of the planned 12,000-square-foot facility, the 3,000-square-foot Early Learning Center, community meeting spaces, and the 71-stall parking lot on Kamakoa Drive.
After more than fifteen years of dedicated community advocacy and planning, seeing the formal "Plans and Specs" link go live marks a massive, concrete step toward breaking ground.
With Governor Josh Green releasing $21,000,000 in Capital improvement Project (CIP) funding for the construction of the long-anticipated Waikoloa Public Library on Hawai'i Island The Friends of the Library - Waikoloa Region is looking forward to the next steps in moving forward to our new Waikoloa Library. The Library is panned as a modern community facility of approximately 12,000 square fee, paired with a 3,000-square-foot Early Learning Center. "The new Waikoloa Public Library will be a beautiful new community hub for the community to read, learn, and connect, and we can't wait for it to open," said State Librarian Stacey Aldrich.
We'll keep sending out updates as we receive them.
Chapter's Monthly Book Review
All the Blues in the Sky, Renée Watson
The Friends of the Library - Waikōloa Region is the primary sponsor of the Big Island Heluhelu Quiz Bowl, a reading competition for students in grades 4 through 7. All The Blues in the Sky is included in this competition for the upcoming 2026-27 school year. You can read more about the event and all 30 books the students read at flwrhi.org , the website for the Friends of the Library - Waikōloa Region.
This book is the 2026 Newbery Medal winner - the award given to an author for "the most distinguished contributions to American literature for children” by the American Library Association. Ms. Watson has also received a Newbery Honor award for “ˆPiecing Me Together” in 2018.
In All the Blues in the Sky, Sage is a girl who is anticipating her thirteenth birthday, with her best friend coming over to stay up all night and share even the upcoming dawn. But her friend is killed on her way over to Sageʻs home and Sage becomes lost in grief.
Initially I was shocked at the intensity of this topic in a book for middle grade children, but as the book unfolds with Sage resisting grief counseling, then learning of the grief of other students at her school, the story takes on a broader reflection of friendship, the pain, sadness, and anxiety - and how Sage goes through healing, growth, and finds new friends who understand her as she follows this journey. Watsonʻs wonderful way with both verse and prose is extraordinary and as the book progressed I came to see the book as an important one for its audience - children do have to learn about grief, whether in their own lives or the lives of their friends.
As chair of the steering committee for the Big Island Heluhelu Quiz Bowl, I am an advocate of adults reading the excellent literature in childrenʻs literature. The scope of the stories and the quality of the writing are in many ways at the forefront of all literature today. If you like this book, donʻt hesitate to look for any of the other books on our Quiz Bowl list for an inspiring read.
by David Giff
URGENT - Waikoloa Reads is not going to be meeting in June and will resume the 2nd and 4th Saturday of July. Just wanted to let everyone know. We will update on next month's Chapters with any additional information!
Waikoloa Reads has a new location for their twice monthly meeting!
Bookmobile Notes
🚌 Volunteer Spotlight: May in Review
A heartfelt mahalo to our amazing volunteers! Your hard work is the true driving force behind the bookmobile, and we are incredibly fortunate to have you on the team. This summer our volunteers have been really showing their dedication by taking on extra shifts to help cover the shifts of those of us that are on vacation. All your willingness to pitch in and help when needed is appreciated more than you will ever know.
Want to join the fun? We are always looking for new faces to help us grow! If you have a passion for service, consider joining our team. We simply ask for a small commitment of 1–2 hours per week (ideally on a set day).
Contact: Reach out to us at bookmobile@flwrhi.org for more information or to sign up.
🌱 Keiki Event Update
Our next keiki event will be a back to school project. Check back next month for more details.
HAWAII STATE LIBRARY READING CHALLENGE
Don't forget to sign up for the Hawaii library summer reading challenge. Check out the link below for more details. Wouldn't it be great if someone from Waikoloa won one of the grand prizes - One child/teen reader will receive 4 domestic airline tickets, and one adult reader will receive 2 domestic airline tickets.
https://www.librarieshawaii.org/summerreading/
📚 Book Donation Reminders
A huge thank you to everyone who generously donates books! Your support helps us keep our collection vibrant and appealing for all our readers.
Because we have very limited space, we need to ensure our collection stays current and in great shape. To make sure we can accept and utilize your donations, please keep these quick guidelines in mind:
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Age Limit: Books should be less than 10 years old.
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Condition: Please ensure all donations are in clean, gently-used condition.
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What We Can't Accept: Textbooks, magazines, workbooks, and jigsaw puzzles.
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Drop-Off: Please hand donations directly to a volunteer or place them safely inside the bookmobile. (Items left outside the vehicle can easily be damaged!)
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Safety First: For the safety of our little ones, please make sure all children are accompanied by an adult at all times.
Thank you so much for your understanding and continued support of our collection!
— Donna Konie
Our new book acquisition will be placed in the Bookmobile. Look for this label on the book cover.
The bookmobile is open every day from 9am - 5pm (weather permitting)
Please return borrowed books to the donations bin inside the bookmobile.
Contact us at: bookmobile@flwrhi.org
GET THE LATEST UPDATES ON
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Waikoloa Library Updates
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Monthly Book and Beverage
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Bookmobile Notes
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Big Island Heluhelu Quiz Bowl
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Volunteers are Needed!
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FL-WR Board of Directors seeking new Director of Fundraising
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FL-WR Book Club Coordinator Needed
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If interested, please contact FL-WR Board President, Micheal Gaston at: president@flwrhi.org
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