State librarian seeks Halloween may be over, but state Librarian Virginia Lowell will still be doing a little trick-or-treating of sorts.
aid for Kapolei
library funds
She plans to ask area businesses
to donate to help open it soonerBy Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.comBut she won't be asking for candy -- she'll be seeking donations to open the Kapolei Public Library sooner rather than later.
As early as next week, Lowell will be sending out more than 200 letters to businesses in Kapolei and the surrounding communities as part of a campaign to raise money to buy books and other materials needed before the 33,000-square-foot library can open.
"This campaign is focusing on getting those materials now," Lowell said. "I'm quite confident that we'll have a significant amount of donations to get us well on our way."
About $2.5 million needed to hire staff, buy furniture and equipment and acquire books and others collection didn't make it out of the last legislative session.
Construction of the library, originally scheduled for completion in December, will be completed by January, library officials say. (The one-month delay is due to changes in the interior configuration of desks, shelving and electrical outlets.)
That means the library will stay empty until it gets funding for staff and material.
The Hawaii State Library System will include a $1.7 million emergency request to the Legislature for staff, supplies and library materials at Kapolei and an additional $1.7 million supplemental budget request for the library, Lowell said.
Because the start-up funding is not currently in hand, it could take a year before everything is in place to open the doors if the legislative funding is approved.
In the meantime, Lowell said any money received in the fund-raising campaign can be used immediately and shorten the lag time.
"With this money, we can start purchasing things right now," Lowell said.
State Rep. Mark Moses (R, Kapolei) said he had not heard of the fund-raising campaign.
"I think it's OK to do so, but I think it is a tough time for business," said Moses.
With the economic downturn that came about because of the Sept. 11 attacks, businesses have been hit hard.
"It's only going to get worse," Moses said. "The businesses can only give so much."
Moses said the same goes for the Legislature, which will be wrapping up a special session to stimulate Hawaii's economy.
Layoffs mean the Legislature likely will have to fund more social service programs during the upcoming regular session, and there are other construction projects such as the next phase of Kapolei High School competing for state dollars.
The start-up funding for opening the building wasn't approved by the Legislature last year because the building wasn't completed, Moses said.
Lowell said there's no target amount for the fund-raiser but the legislative request includes $1 million for an opening day collection of 50,000 volumes of books and other materials.
Engineering firm R.M. Towill has already donated $20,000 to the campaign, Lowell said.
"I think we should be ready to recognize those companies," Board of Education member Meyer Ueoka said at a library committee meeting this week.
Lowell said those companies will be invited to the grand opening of the library. "We're also willing to put brass plaques on chairs and tables and shelving and anything."
An array of businesses will be solicited.
"We're concentrating in the Kapolei, Makakilo area because that's the primary market for library services," she said. "All of them have a vested interest in completing that library and getting it opened."