Student pages carrying flashlights have been retrieving books from other sections of the library, where generator-powered lights and dehumidifiers were installed. Although the entire library has been dried out and the main entrance retiled, officials are still uncertain when the rest of the building will reopen.
The flood destroyed a large portion of the library’s rare map and government document collection. University Librarian Diane Perushek said in the January 11 Honolulu Star-Bulletin that six international preservation specialists will be helping staff restore some of the maps and photographs that were salvaged. “What we’d like to do is start digitizing a lot of our unique materials,” she said, “so that the next time there is a flood—heaven forbid that should happen—we’ll have a backup.”
UHM administrator Sam Callejo informed state legislators that losses to the collections totaled $25 million, while reconstruction for Hamilton Library is estimated to cost $10 to $15 million, the Honolulu Advertiser reported January 13.
Posted January 14, 2005.