Factions contend
for library resourcesLingle must decide between
expansion and improvement
Community members have long dreamed of a new and bigger library on the site of the old Aiea Sugar Mill.
They thought that dream would be fulfilled when the state Legislature appropriated $2.5 million in fiscal year 2002 to purchase land for the Aiea Library.
That same year, lawmakers approved $1 million for an expansion of the Hanapepe Library on Kauai and $3 million for the Makawao Library expansion and adjacent land purchase on Maui.
But money is tight, and library administrators say the $6.5 million would be better spent improving existing libraries rather than on new or expanded buildings.
"Is that a good use of taxpayers' money when we can't afford to buy sufficient books for other libraries, and we can't fill vacant positions?" asked Keith Fujio, administrative services officer for the state's libraries.
Gov. Linda Lingle must now decide whether to release the money and let the projects go forward or hold the money and effectively kill the projects.
"At this point no decision has been made," said Lingle's spokesman Russell Pang, who added that the governor and her budget and policy personnel are working with the Board of Education and the libraries system to review the projects and to see what their priorities are.
The decision pits politicians, library administrators and communities against each other in a fight for scarce resources.
The Aiea community recently re-energized efforts for the library and to petition Lingle to release the $2.5 million.
Just before school ended this year, students at Webling Elementary School spent recess during the last week of school signing a petition asking the governor to release the money for the library.
The current library, built in 1964, sits on a small property and cannot be expanded. Community members see the library as the first step in a plan to create a town center for Aiea at the site of the old sugar mill.
"The fear is, if we don't get the money released and lock up the land, somebody else would end up buying it, and we'd have the town center next to an industrial facility," said state Rep. Blake Oshiro (D, Aiea-Aiea Heights).
Makawao Library, also hurting for space, has no room for its reference section. Portions are stuck in a back room and a workroom, and another portion is locked in a cabinet.
The library has no area for children's programs and activities, with an average attendance of 50, peaking at 100.
"When we have story hour, we need to move the tables out to make a space," said branch manager Carla Mauri.
She said the population has tripled since the library was built.
Similarly, although Hanapepe Library expanded to 5,350 square feet 28 years ago, its circulation almost doubled in the last 10 years.
"We're running out of space here at our library," said librarian Karen Ikemoto. "Our library is like a meeting place in our community. We just wanted a little area to have story time and other programs."
But outgoing state Librarian Virginia Lowell believes health and safety projects should come first. "At this point we don't have money for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) survey concerns," she said.
The state Public Library System has a backlog of $8 million in repair and maintenance projects and $3 million in ADA projects just to meet minimal accessibility standards, Fujio said.
Its 28-library to-do list of health and safety projects range from re-roofing at Keaau Library ($100,000) to mending broken downspouts at Pahoa Library ($1,000), both on the Big Island.
Of the $3.5 million requested by the Libraries System for 2004-05 for repair, maintenance and ADA projects, the Legislature only appropriated $1 million for 2004 and nothing for 2005.
So the system will request an additional $2.5 million for 2004 and $3.5 million for 2005 in the next legislative session, Fujio said.
Liliha Library remains on the long list of repair and maintenance projects. "For the last 10 years, we've been trying to solve the leaking roof problem," Liliha branch manager Sylvia Mitchell said. Although the state has funded repairs to the persistent leaky roof, the ceiling is water-stained and chunks of plaster are missing. And rainwater caught between the walls has caused a moldy smell in the library. Lowell said questions asked about the Kapolei Library should be asked of the other projects, such as, "Are we going to get the construction and operating money?"
The Kapolei Library sat empty after it was first built until the Legislature funded the materials and staffing.
"I don't think it's a fair comparison to compare the Aiea Library move with starting a new library," said state Sen. David Ige (D, Aiea-Pearl City). Unlike Kapolei, Aiea would only require moving books and staff to the new location, rather than having to hire new staff and buy new materials, he said.
Aiea resident Claire Tamamoto, who has been working toward a new library for years, is hopeful that a new librarian and a new governor might actually fulfill that dream.