The executive director of the Friends of the Library of Hawaii said he suspects an arsonist set fire to its bookmobile early Monday morning in Kakaako, which would make it the second time in less than two months.

“It’s unfortunate — the circumstances,” said Nainoa Mau, the Friends of the Library’s executive director. “We were looking forward to opening it soon. A month and a half ago, it was set on fire the first time. We were going through the insurance process. I couldn’t believe it when I got the call this morning that somebody lit it on fire again.”

When he saw the photo of it on the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s website, Mau noticed that contents appeared to have been pulled out and set on fire.

The Honolulu Fire Department estimated the damage to the vehicle was $50,000, and $5,000 to its contents, but the cause was still under investigation Monday.

However, Mau said he’s not sure of the bookmobile’s value because it was not working when they received it from the Hawaii Public Library. But as a bookstore location in the Pohukaina Street site, “the bookmobile brought in a significant amount of money, but if we had to pay rent, it may not be worth it,” he said.

The bookmobile had been left as is after the first fire, awaiting the removal of the debris inside — books destroyed by fire or water damaged by firefighting, Mau said.

“I can’t believe somebody would actually set it on fire, especially because it raises funds for the public library,” Mau said.

The 690 Pohukaina St. location was the Friends’ only Honolulu bookstore. It became temporary when the building was slated for development and the Friends and the public library system moved to a Halawa location.

Mau said the bookmobile was going to stay in the current location and reconnect to the building’s electricity once a new tenant (Fisher Hawaii) had moved in.

An old Pearl City bookmobile is available to the Friends of the Library, which just has to find a centrally located, rent-free space in Honolulu, he said.