Sakurad, an Iolani seventh-grader, knew exactly what she wanted to check out.

"I like the (Japanese anime) graphic novels," she said. The state library's online catalog showed that Kapolei Library had a good stock of the manga books, so Grace decided to take advantage of the new building. "It has a lot of books," she said.

At exactly 11 a.m. the automatic doors slid open and the Sakurads walked in with other patrons to be greeted with a little shout of jubilation from the library staff waiting at their posts.

"For several of us, this is the culmination of over a year's work," said Kapolei Public Library director Richard Burns. "And for the community, it's been the culmination of two years of waiting. It's wonderful to finally open a library for the community that has been waiting for so long."

A library had been talked about for more than a decade in this burgeoning community. Year after year, they were put off because there was no money. Then in 2002, the building was completed. But two more years of waiting followed because of a lack of money to buy books. The $6.9 million facility sat virtually unused.

Monica Delgado volunteered to help on opening day at the Kapolei Public Library. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Burns arrived a little before 5 a.m. yesterday. "We opened today before the grand opening to ease our staff into the process," he said.

He and the library staff worked nonstop for a year processing the 42,000 books in the library's collection. Though shelves were only half-full yesterday, Burns said that was to be expected for a new library. He said that within the next several years that number will rise to 100,000.

By noon, around 50 books had been checked out.

"We were all here over the weekend working fast and furious," said Mary Ann Collignon, the Young Adult Librarian. "We've got a great team working here. And everyone is enthusiastic. We can't wait to serve the community of Kapolei and all the community on the west side of the Island."

Kanani Canne, 14, was impressed with the library.

"It's humongous, man! It's big and organized," she said as she sat with her 11-year-old brother, Blaize, and her 13-year-old sister, Aizha, in the children's section. The siblings said they had been looking for "The Three Little Pigs," for their 4-year-old sister and they are happy they don't have to go to Waipahu to get books anymore.

"We're happy that it's finally open," Kanani said. "This is our library now."

Even the littlest book borrowers were excited. Four-year-old Mikyala Madrid clutched her pink stuffed pony as her mom, Shelly, held 7-month-old Abigayle and searched the book catalog for computer manuals. Mikyala said she had been looking for horse books in the first-floor children's section.

The Madrids only moved to Kapolei from Spokane, Wash., on July 21, but looking for the nearest library was one of the first things they did.

"We came on Friday and saw (the library) was opening. So at the first opportunity, we came here," said Shelly Madrid.

Reach Anna Weaver at aweaver@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2455.