Lowell seeks board’s
support for delay

The state librarian is being pressured
to open Kapolei Library

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By Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.com

State Librarian Virginia Lowell has asked the state Board of Education to formally support her decision to postpone opening the Kapolei Library until the state Legislature allocates adequate funding.

The library was expected to open next July, but the 2002 Legislature cut back a $1.7 million budget request to $267,000 for Kapolei and reduced by 2 percent the entire library system budget.

"If we don't get the additional funding, we're not going to be able to open the building," Lowell told members of the Committee on Public Libraries yesterday.

Lowell has been under pressure from the community to open the library in a limited capacity using donated books and volunteers. But that does not address other operating costs, such as staffing and utilities, she said.

The committee considered a resolution that would go before the full board at next Thursday's meeting.

Member Meyer Ueoka objected to language that threatened to keep the library closed unless the Legislature provides funding, suggesting that someone else might want to donate $1.5 million.

"If we were to get a donation of the large amount of money that would equal the $1.5 million that we asked for, that does not deal with the sustainability issue," Lowell said. "We need to have additional money in the operating fund."

Lowell said she would not open the library without a commitment from the Legislature that there would be money to keep it open for years to come.

Committee Chairman Winston Sakurai agreed with sending a strong message to the Legislature.

"I think we have no other option. We need to draw a line in the sand."