Hawaii’s public library system will face a reduction in hours and the elimination of four bookmobiles beginning in mid-March to offset an additional $500,000 reduction of the $23.4 million 2001–02 budget, trimmed last year by 2%, or $424,504.
Bookmobiles serving communities on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Mokokai will cease operations, and all libraries will be restricted to no more than 40 hours per week, a move that will cause some of the larger libraries to cut 10 or 20 hours. In an effort to trim electricity, security, and other costs, no library will open for more than five days per week.
“It’s never again going to be business as usual,” State Librarian Virginia Lowell told the February 11 Honolulu Advertiser. “Traditional libraries, while lovingly held, are not the direction we are headed.”
Because library budget restrictions are expected for the next two fiscal years, Lowell is proposing new ways to reach patrons and to bring in more revenue, including installing Internet kiosks in long-term care facilities, prisons, and shopping malls; a debit-card system for computer printout charges and telephone reference desk help; and public fax machines.
Posted February 17, 2003.