Hawaii Governor Benjamin Cayetano’s ongoing plan to balance the state’s budget has forced the Hawaii State Public Library System to come up with proposals for cutting $391,000–$782,000 from its current-year allocation of $19,617,274. At its September 2 meeting, the library board approved Hawaii State Librarian Virginia Lowell’s recommendations for reducing staff and open hours, eliminating bookmobile services, cutting all emergency hires (temporary staff who fill vacancies on an emergency basis), and downsizing student workers and substitutes.
The Office of Budget and Finance is expected to select a dollar amount for the proposed restrictions this week. “Historically, the restrictions have been rescinded for the library,” Lowell told American Libraries. “However, with the budget outlook for the next four years in Hawaii, they are looking at continued restrictions. The restrictions for next year’s budget are twice this year’s amount.”
The library system’s total operating budget was cut by 25% in 1995 and never restored. “If you take that into consideration, we are already doing what the governor asked us to do in this current downsizing,” Lowell added.
Posted September 13, 1999.