Voice of Stephanie Salazar

Holualoa Library has been permanently closed and returned to the state of Hawaii. The building will now by under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural resources.

The quaint Holualoa Library has been temporarily closed due to budget cuts since July 2009. The Library Technician position in charge of Holualoa Public Library has been vacant since December 2007, and the library has relied on the Kailua-Kona Public Library to provide staff.

The Department of Education and the County of Hawaii have expressed interest in taking over this facility.

From the library system media release:

The Board of Education has approved a request from the Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) for the Governor to rescind Executive Order No. 1623 for Holualoa Public Library, an action which will allow for the return of this site and building to the State, under the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Holualoa Public Library, located at 76-5936 Mamaloahoa Highway, in Holualoa on the west side of the Big Island, has been temporarily closed due to budget cuts, spending restrictions, and staffing shortages. The Library Technician position in charge of Holualoa Public Library has been vacant since December 2007, and the one-room, 640 square foot building has been temporarily closed since July 2009. For two years, the library has relied on Kailua-Kona Public Library to provide Library Technician and janitor staff positions.

Permanent closure of this facility will allow HSPLS to reinforce public service in neighboring libraries, and to maximize and redistribute its resources and limited personnel. HSPLS will disperse the collection, furniture, and equipment to other branches on the Big Island.

“The Department of Education and the County of Hawaii have expressed great interest in taking over this facility,” said State Librarian Richard Burns. “After the property and building have been returned to DLNR either the DOE or the County will be able to submit a formal request for the management and control of the site, and we will work with them to ensure a smooth transition.”

In another agenda item at the meeting, the Board of Education approved an HSPLS request for the Governor to rescind the executive order for Bond Memorial Public Library, which was replaced by the new North Kohala Public Library in November 2010. The Bond Memorial Public Library served the community of Kohala for 81 years, and closed its doors for the last time on October 18, 2010.