Reading room to open at Kapolei Library
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward O'ahu Writer
Coming soon to the Kapolei Library: books.
Advertiser library photo
It won't be the thousands of volumes that state Librarian Virginia Lowell needs to open the library as a full-service facility, but under a plan developed by Board of Education member Carol Gabbard, there will be books on the shelves in late March for the first time.
State Librarian Virginia Lowell said collecting donated books was not an appropriate way to build a library collection.
Gabbard's idea to open a temporary reading room using donated books and monitored by volunteers turned out to be an acceptable compromise for Lowell, who has steadfastly refused to accept residents' donated books and instead insisted that the Legislature finance a proper collection for its newest library.
The $8 million facility has sat virtually empty — unable to open — since it was completed last year because the state didn't appropriate the $1.7 million Lowell said she needed for 24 staffers and a 60,000-book collection. The uproar had barely died down when a new one erupted over Lowell's refusal to accept books from residents who thought they were doing a good deed by offering volumes they had collected.
At the time Lowell said collecting donated books was not an appropriate way to build a library collection. She hasn't changed her mind and yesterday went to great pains to point out that the reading room will be completely separate from the library's collection.
Still, Makakilo resident Herman Young was pleasantly surprised to hear about the new service. He and his wife, Marcia, were among those who carted boxloads of books to the library last year only to have them rejected.
"We gave all those books away," Young said. "But I can start collecting again. I'm pretty sure I can get others to donate books, too. This is good."
• The reading room will be open two days a week. • Visitors will be able to read, borrow or purchase the volumes. • The public is expected to be notified within the next two weeks that they can begin donating books to the Kapolei library.
Young said he plans to volunteer.
How it works
State Rep. Mark Moses, R-40th (Makakilo, Kapolei, Royal Kunia), who sparred with Lowell over the donated books issue, was also pleased.
"Regardless of how it happened, it's great to get this library open," Moses said. "I get calls every day from people wanting to know when the library will open. This idea will get no resistance from the community."
Moses said he plans to push hard to get the Legislature to come up with money for the library this year, but says he's not sure it will happen with all the state's budget problems.
In November the Hawai'i State Library System began a program of occasional story times and other special events at the Kapolei facility. Otherwise, the building has been off-limits to readers.
The reading room will be open two days a week, Gabbard said. Books will be monitored by volunteers. Visitors will be able to read, borrow or purchase the volumes.
"I have been working with Virginia Lowell on this for a few months now, and I'm just excited that we'll be able to use the facility and the community will be able to participate," said Gabbard, who added that her efforts have been done as a member of the community and not as a member of the BOE.
Lowell stressed that the reading room idea is entirely a volunteer effort.
"We're providing the space and they can come in at times when our staff workers are there doing their thing for the library system," she said. "It is completely separate. We're not using staff time, we're not paying for overhead costs or anything like that."
Lowell said Gabbard is free to set up the volunteer program any way she chooses — utilizing either or both of Kapolei's two library "Friends" groups, or any other service organization that might be interested, such as the Rotary. Lowell said she favored the idea because it won't cost the state a nickel and it won't involve the time or efforts of any staff workers.
"Obviously, since we don't have the money to open the library anyway, this is the most positive way that we can see to incorporate the volunteer help," Lowell said. "And guess what? If the volunteers are in there, it give us exposure, it gives us publicity, it gets the public into that building to see what it could have and hopefully will have in December of 2003."
That is the target date when Lowell hopes that the library will officially open. The date is contingent on the Legislature's appropriating emergency money, she said. On Monday Lowell announced that about 20 percent of the library book collection had already been purchased.
