Bookmobile hits road on Maui after long stop
By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor
WAILUKU, Maui — The Maui Bookmobile is on the road again after a two-year hiatus, but state officials said there are no plans to reinstate the service anywhere else in Hawai'i.
Photos by Christie Wilson • The Honolulu Advertiser
Except for a small van that has continued to operate on Moloka'i, the Hawai'i State Public Library System's half-dozen bookmobiles were grounded in April 2003 because of budget cuts. A bill that would have restored funding for the bookmobiles did not survive this year's legislative session, but the Wailuku Public Library — where the Maui Bookmobile is based — was able to adjust its staffing and funding to revive the service with the blessing of State Librarian Jo Ann Schindler.
Aiko Nagata, 93, browses through a Japanese-language magazine, while Yaemi Yogi, 80, pays driver Al Roloos $1 to rent the DVD "Spanglish" during a Bookmobile visit to Hale Mahaolu Elua in Kahului.
It has been a long wait for Elizabeth Caires at the Hale Mahaolu Elua senior housing community in Kahului. Caires, 87, is an avid reader of romance-mystery novels, and with her limited mobility, she was unable to visit the public library. In the bookmobile's absence, she said she had to borrow books from friends.
"I just about know what she wants and I bring it so she doesn't have to browse the shelves," said Al Roloos, who's been the Maui Bookmobile driver for 17 years.
He said he's glad to be back behind the wheel. "It's better than being behind a desk," Roloos said. "Hopefully, it's here to stay."
For a Maui Bookmobile schedule, visit www.librarieshawaii.org/services For more information, call the Wailuku Public Library at (808) 243-5766.
Because Roloos was kept on staff at the Wailuku Public Library during the time the service was stopped, and because the vehicle was kept in good shape and needed only a few repairs, the Maui Bookmobile was able to get rolling again.
Book-mobile schedule
/bookmobile_schedules.htm.
On other islands, the drivers transferred to other positions or found new jobs when the service stopped, Schindler said, and costly replacement vehicles would be needed to start up again.
Susan Werner, branch manager at the Wailuku Public Library, credited the return of the library-on-wheels to a letter-writing campaign by patrons and Schindler's appreciation of its value to the community. Werner said bookmobiles had gone out of fashion with the previous administrator, even though records showed a surge in use.
Library statistics for fiscal year 2002 indicate that 29,838 items were borrowed from the Maui Bookmobile, a 20 percent increase from the previous year, Werner said. Lending from the bookmobile accounted for about 25 percent of the Wailuku branch's circulation, she said.
Al Roloos welcomes Elizabeth Caires, 87, to the bookmobile. Caires, a bookmobile regular, is lucky: Libraries on wheels won't be seen outside Maui and Moloka'i.
In addition to books and other printed material, the bookmobile offers DVDs, videos, audiobooks and music CDs.
The Maui vehicle returned to duty with improved capabilities, namely a wireless connection and computer monitor that provide automated circulation services so customers can access their library accounts, search the online catalog and reserve books or other library material.
The bookmobile operates Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with visits to Kihei, Lahaina, Central and Upcountry Maui — almost everywhere except Hana. Stops include elderly and low-income housing projects, private schools and preschools, and the Maui Community Correctional Center. It also participates in job fairs, education events, and community parades and festivals, and delivers books to homebound patrons on its route.
Werner said that at the time the bookmobile was put on hold, annual costs included $3,500 for repairs, maintenance and safety inspections, and $1,500 for fuel.
Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
