By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Hawaii's new state librarian, Virginia Lowell, starts
off with a sense of humor during a reception in her
honor at the State Library.

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Libraries chief says
librarians should choose books

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

Hawaii's new state librarian stood behind all public service librarians by proposing a rule that returns to them sole authority to select books and other library materials.

Librarians in the past have opposed the state attorney general's proposal to limit the class of public service librarians responsible for book selection to only head branch librarians.

The chapter on selection and acquisition of library materials needed to be amended to comply with a law passed last year giving public service librarians responsibility for selection.

"The law says public service librarians over and over again," said state Librarian Virginia Lowell. "Being a public service librarian myself, I feel strongly selection should be in the hands of public service librarians."

Librarians statewide were stripped of selection duties when the state entered into an outsourcing contract with North Carolina book buyer Baker & Taylor, which has since been terminated. Librarians complained about the poor selection and inadequate quantities of books they had received under the contract.

The attorney general has argued that the definition of public service librarians should be limited to head branch librarians so as to avoid potential liability for library employees who may enter into contracts with vendors.

"If we accepted the attorney general's language, then even I could not order or select, nor any department manager at the Hawaii State Library," Lowell said.

Selection of materials is the most professional of all functions performed by library staff, she noted.

While she agrees with the attorney general's objections that having 140 librarians ordering materials is inefficient, or the possibility that individual librarians may enter into contracts with vendors, procedures do require librarians to coordinate title selection with branch heads and to forward those requests to the state librarian's office for purchase, Lowell said.

The proposed revisions to more than 30 administrative rules went to public hearings from July 6 to 10 with little public testimony on most of the items.

The Board of Education's Public Library Committee yesterday voted in favor of the revisions and recommended them to the board for approval.

Library budget plan includes
new branches on Kauai, Oahu

Funds to open new libraries in Princeville and Kapolei and hire additional personnel are included in the Hawaii State Public Library System's $9.7 million operating budget request for fiscal biennium 1999 to 2001.

The Board of Education's Public Library Committee yesterday approved the proposed budget and recommended it to the board for approval.

The education committee also approved the library system's proposed capital improvements budget, which included construction money for new libraries in North Kohala and Lahaina and compliance with health and safety requirements.

The proposed operating budget would:

Fill a shortage of janitors and library assistants needed to maintain adequate staffing levels and to fill staff jobs.current services.

Expand training opportunities for library staff as proposed by the new state librarian.

Provide for a $1.8 million book budget.

Allow for sufficient funds to manage workers' compensation costs.

Pay for equipment replacement and operation of the statewide library automation system and online periodical database.