Gov. Linda Lingle visited the Makiki Community Library and met with board members and volunteers yesterday in anticipation of a city request to release $4.5 million earmarked for the facility by the Legislature two years ago.

"We showed her the facility and told her our vision for the future," said Ron Paik, president of the library's board of directors. "That money could be used to create a learning center and other programs to help the community."

The Makiki Community Library is not part of the state library system. It is the only community library financed by private donations and staffed by volunteers.

The library is in Makiki District Park in what was the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association experiment station.

The building is in dire need of repairs, and the city is about to start on a separate, $1.7 million project to make the entire building comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

The work will include putting in an elevator and other improvements to meet safety regulations, along with new windows and floors.

The library will be closed for about a year during the construction.

The community library was started by Makiki residents in 1978, and its collection of about 15,000 books is mostly donated. The nearest public libraries are in McCully and downtown.

"We need to be more than just a library," Paik said. "With a broader-based community center, we'd have more chance for donations and volunteers."

Paik's vision for how the money would be put to use includes a new computer center, upgraded plumbing and electrical installations, and immigrant programs for the area's newest residents.

State Budget Director Georgina Kawamura said before the funds are released, the city must officially ask for the money and detail how it will be used.

The City Council recently passed a resolution asking for the release of the funds supported by the mayor, Kawamura said.

"But there still is an official step to this process which is the paperwork from the city," she said. "To date, we don't have it. It's a surprise to us. They need to complete the 'ask.' "

The funds are considered a grant in aid to the city, she said, and when the request is presented to the state, the state Department of Budget and Finance will check the language of the appropriation, review the plans for the library and make a recommendation to the governor.

The governor then will have the final say on approving the money, Kawamura said.