The Hawaii State Public Library System and the Korean Library Foundation have accepted a $45,200 donation from the government of the Republic of Korea.

A check presentation ceremony and demonstration of new Korean e-books were held Thursday at the McCully-Moiliili Public Library, with Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Consul General Walter K. Paik in attendance.

The grant provides 2,100 Korean e-books, including adult fiction, nonfiction, essays and children’s books; 450 paperback books; an estimated 200 DVDs that will be added to the state library Korean-language collection; and office equipment and furniture for the Korean Library Foundation.

The Korean Library Foundation, founded by Sook Ki and Eugene Moon in 1997, is a nonprofit organization that pursues grants and donations to enhance and expand the Hawaii State Public Library System’s Korean-language collection. In addition, the Korean Library Foundation donates English-subtitled DVDs of popular Korean TV dramas that benefit Hawaii’s residents and heighten awareness of Korean culture, history and language.

To access the list of Korean e-book titles, go to www.librar-ieshawaii.org and select the e-book Web page. The state library’s e-book policy is a 10-item limit, three-week loan period. The Korean e-book collection is managed by Kyobo Books in Korea, and the website is presented in Korean.

In other grants and donations:

» The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation has awarded the Institute for Human Services $40,000 toward the completion of an elevator to allow access to the IHS Rooftop Training and Education Center.

The center was dedicated in July and will provide pre-vocational and vocational training in sustainable horticulture, agriculture and aquaponic technologies for up to 180 clients annually.

The elevator, which will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, will ensure that all guests and clients can safely access and participate in the various educational and training programs offered at the center.

Connie Mitchell, executive director of IHS, said, "We are extremely happy to be the recipients of such a generous grant from The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, which will enable us to make our urban agriculture program available to everyone including those with physical disabilities."

The elevator will be named in memory of Clarence T.C. Ching, honoring his legacy of service.

» The Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, or INPEACE, was awarded a grant from the Hawaii Community Foundation under its FLEX Grant program.

The FLEX Grant program is a partnership of many funds made possible through various donors.

INPEACE was the recipient of a $30,000 grant, donated by four funds of the Hawaii Community Foundation: the Annie Sinclair Knudsen Memorial Fund ($5,000), the Kahuku Community Fund ($5,000), the First Wind Community Fund ($5,000), and the Omidyar ‘Ohana Fund ($15,000).

INPEACE is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Native Hawaiians through community partnerships that provide educational opportunities and promote self-sufficiency.

INPEACE takes an innovative and holistic approach to achieving its mission through a wide range of statewide programs such as the highly acclaimed Keiki Steps and Keiki Steps to Kindergarten.

» Ronald and Alice Taniguchi recently made a $25,000 pledge to fund an endowed scholarship to support third- and fourth-year students at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

Recipients will be high school graduates from Kauai, Molokai and Lanai who have demonstrated leadership skills and a commitment to community service.

"As a founding father, faculty member and now a benefactor, it is difficult to envision stronger dedication than has been embodied by Ron Taniguchi and his wife, Alice. We are humbled by their generous support and mindful of our obligation to live up to their expectations," said pharmacy school Dean John M. Pezzuto.

"The Taniguchi legacy will make a difference to the lives of individual students but ultimately will leave all of our islands with improved health care in critical areas of diabetes and heart health and more. Reaching out to students on Kauai, Molokai and Lanai is especially meaningful right now as we show the community and the Legislature how the scope of the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy expands to every corner of our state."

Taniguchi capped a 40-year pharmacy career as a faculty member at the UH-Hilo College of Pharmacy, where he served as the director of community partnerships from 2008 to 2011. In this role he helped galvanize business and industry leaders to lay a strong foundation of support for the college. 

» The R.E.A.C.H. after-school initiative received more than $50,000 from the Honolulu Professionals Foundation as a result of a fundraiser held in June.

"The Honolulu Professionals Foundation’s donation will go a long way in improving and enhancing many young lives," said Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui, who spearheads the initiative. "I am grateful for HPF’s interest in R.E.A.C.H. and for their dedication to helping the community."

R.E.A.C.H., which is an acronym for Resources for Enrichment, Athletics, Culture and Health, will provide a comprehensive structure for intermediate- and middle-school after-school programs.