NEWPORT BEACH : Polynesians Next on Free-Book List

Since 1986, Galal J. Kernahan figures he has helped to give about 2.5 million new books to schools, hospitals, jails and literacy programs in Orange County. For his next project, the Newport Beach resident plans a shipment of 94,000 books to Polynesian children in New Zealand.

Kernahan, 64, who has worked as a reporter, editor, teacher and Presbyterian minister, finds himself passing out books by the box loads for his “immense satisfaction,” he said.

The giveaway was started by the Assn. of Mexican-American Educators when it received a shipment of books from a New York book clearinghouse, Community Reading Service, in 1986. Kernahan and friend Rudy Moreno, a Rancho Santiago Community College teacher, later took over the job of organizing the giveaways. Both men are active in the educators’ group.

Since then, Moreno estimates that they have passed out more than $6 million worth of books, appointment books and calendars.

Because the book giveaways, which involve from 50,000 to a million books at a time, are arranged with “absolutely no budget, no money, no anything,” Kernahan said, they require the co-sponsorship and good will of local groups.

Organizations assisting in the giveaways include the Orange and Garden Grove school districts, the Orange County public library system and the Orange County Community Development Council, an anti-poverty agency.

Individuals like Lillian Nierman, 69, who does volunteer work at Coastal Communities Hospital in Santa Ana, also have helped. At one point, Nierman said, Nierman passed out about 700 new books in the hospital. Another time she distributed hundreds of sets of children’s books along the streets of Santa Ana.

“I don’t know how many hundreds of books I picked up and actually distributed even to the little children as they came home from school,” she said. “I think the biggest surprise was they could keep them. It seemed to be very important to them that they had the possession of their own books.”

It is just this response that Kernahan says makes him feel like “some kind of Santa Claus.”

“You have just given away gifts that people feel are invaluable,” he said. “That in itself is a tremendous high.” The books, which are hard- and soft-cover and include everything from Dr. Seuss to Carl Sagan, are donated by U.S. publishers. Before Kernahan distributes the books, some of which are worth $25, recipients must agree not to sell them.

Kernahan said the New Zealand book giveaway for the Maori children is a good-will gesture timed to coincide with that country’s 150th birthday. The Maoris are New Zealand’s indigenous inhabitants.

Since Kernahan and Moreno have had more trouble than usual getting their latest shipment of books, Moreno says he’s not sure how much longer the giveaways will last. Both men agree that the effort can be exhausting. But, said Moreno, “education is always worth it.”