Read this article in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
By Robert Stauffer
Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library, is one of the most-used Indigenous language websites in the world with patrons from across Hawaiʻi, all 50 states including the District of Columbia, and at least 122 countries.
Speakers of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi around the world may be delighted to know that Ulukau receives over 50,000 hits per day, nearing 400 million hits since its inception in 2002. Ulukau has always been free and was built, and is maintained, on a shoestring budget all thanks to dozens of community partners and local supporters.
Twenty years after its beginnings, Ulukau is having its first major overhaul. Go to ulukau.org today and you will see a nice image and new and modern ways to see and retrieve its 20 collections, hundreds of books, and tens of thousands of newspaper pages.
Likewise, go to wehewehe.org, the most popular part of Ulukau, and view its nice new image and its solid and trustworthy ways to look up words (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi-English and English-ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi). Use its default two standard dictionaries or choose any combination of up to eight dictionaries.
An exciting advance is a major overhaul of the books collection (puke.ulukau.org). Visit this section of the library and its modern design. You can now interact with the books in so many new ways from your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone.
In the coming months, Ulukau will expand its upgrade across its other collections. ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi speakers across the world deserve no less from this legendary online library.
On this 20th year celebration, the founding organizations of Ulukau – Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at UH Hilo and Alu Like – wish to extend their appreciation for the two decades of community support from its many contributors, partners and patrons as it strives to perpetuate and advance ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and ʻike Hawaiʻi access into the future.