Library system’s
book battle over

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

A mainland book buyer's contract to select and provide books for Hawaii public libraries is history, and the librarians' union says a court ruling ensures the idea has no future.

The Hawaii Government Employees Association was upheld in its suit challenging privatization of the book selection process which had been the job of civil service employees. Circuit Judge Karen Blondin found in favor of the HGEA in an Aug. 27 decision.

Blondin ruled that the Hawaii Supreme Court's decision in Konno vs. Hawaii County, which banned government from contracting out such government services, applies to the contract between the state and Baker & Taylor Inc.

The judgment also orders the Hawaii State Library System not to privatize the book selection services in the future except as may be permitted by the Legislature.

Baker & Taylor has agreed to reimburse part of the union's legal costs in settlement of the 1997 suit.

The settlement comes about a month after the library system settled its own legal battle with Baker & Taylor. The book buyer had sued the state for terminating its five-year, $11.5 million contract and the state countersued asking for return of the $733,000 down payment for books.

Under the agreement, Baker & Taylor will give the state $75,000 worth of books.

"It may seem moot, but it's important for us," said HGEA deputy director Randy Perreira. "We wanted the court to affirm the fact that librarians should be responsible for these functions should anyone come forward in the future and try it again."

Former state Librarian Bart Kane, who signed the book deal in 1996, was later fired by the Board of Education.