HAWAII WEB SITE/PRESS REACTION (Long)

[Pat Wallace <DENWALL@AOL.COM>]

Dear Listserv members:
The following post contains excerpts from the Hawaii State Public
Library Systems WWW site, plus articles from the HONOLULU
STAR-BULLETIN.          Pat Wallace    Dallas, TX  Denwall@aol.com

Reengineering and Outsourcing: The Hawaii  Experience

 http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/hspls/reos.html

 by Jo Ann Schindler, HSPLS, who can be contacted at
   jms@hcc.hawaii.edu
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HSPLS Administration and Organization

Much of the information in this document was adapted from the
November 22, 1995 issue of Totlines (v. 2, issue 5) and from
 the Amendments/Revisions to the HSPLS Master Plan 1995-2005,
November 1994.
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     The State Librarian is in charge of the 49 libraries which make up the
Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS). Bartholomew A. Kane has
been Hawai'i's State Librarian since 1982. He administers the public
library system and reports directly to the State Board of Education,
an elected body with jurisdiction over the HSPLS and the Department
of Education.

State Librarian Bart Kane has appointed a reengineering committee
 to design a better, faster, more cost effective organization.  Beginning
with  Project SLIMMER, much institutional energy is being spent in
transforming  HSPLS into about sixty or more self-directed work teams.
The Hawaii State Public Library System was previously divided into
geographical regions, i.e., major islands, which were managed by
District Administrators. Effective November 27, 1995, these dictrict
offices, the Centralized Processing Center, Program Development
Services, and Research and Evaluation Services sections were
eliminated. Most of these staff members were deployed to public
service positions effective November 27.

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Reengineering the Hawaii State Public Library System
Source: TOTlines, v. 1, Issue 22, March 22, 1995.

Hawaii State Librarian Bartholomew Kane
on reengineering:

 Reengineering is defined by Hammer and Champy in
Reengineering the Corporation  as the fundamental rethinking
and  radical redesign of the entire business system. Organizations
look at reengineering for one of three reasons: on the brink of
extinction; see storm clouds on the horizon; and seek a quick
competitive advantage. The basic steps of reengineering are:
define objectives; analyze existing processes; invent new ways to
work; and implement the new process.

Reengineering is a top-down radical analysis of existing business.
It builds on the platform of teams and teamwork and looks to self-
directed work teams as the engine of continuous improvement.

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Why Reengineer?

Presented to the Board of Education at its November 9,
1995, meeting by Diane Eddy and Kathy Sterrett, HSPLS
- Reengineering Team.

Message from State Librarian Bartholomew Kane
to HSPLS Employees:

"During a period of radical change, there is a natural tendency to
maintain the status quo. Given the size of our budget cuts, the status
quo would have meant shredding the book budget almost to nothing
and closing some of our 49 public libraries (as many as 15 out of 49)
and laying off our employees. This prospect was intolerable to me.

The opportunity in these tough times existed to transform HSPLS
into a more customer-focused agency. I looked at the strengths of
HSPLS, what are called the 'core competencies,' and there are two.
Your strong commitment to public service and your high degree of
confidence in your skills and abilities. These were the two highest
rated employee attitudes consistently in 1992, 1993, and 1994.
Building on those strengths, even with all the anxiety and frustration
of the budget cuts and the unknowns, our transformation project
will lead to the following positive outcomes:

                             "WOW for Customers"

   * Increase in nights open ..............19%
   * Increase hours open....................13%
   * Increase days/week open...........10%
   * Increase magazines/newspapers.........700%
             Full text online everywhere
   * Increase speed of new library books....500%
             on library shelves for customers
   * Increase circulation.....................10%

   * Internet Access
   * Increase Telecom Speed........................ 500%
   * Better trained employees
   * More staff on floor offering public services
   * Improved accountability + responsibility
   * Greater use of data, focus groups, surveys,
             comment system
   * Better working environment
   * Increased user revenues/decreased direct
             cost to taxpayer"
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Reengineering Progress Report: Spring 1996

(The following report appeared in the "State Librarian's Column" in the
Spring 1996 issue of the Friends of the Library of Hawaii newsletter.)

 "I am pleased to report that the reengineering of the Hawaii State
Public Library System (HSPLS) has been allowed to continue,
following last month's favorable ruling by the State Procurement
Office, regarding the protest filed by an unsuccessful vendor for
the automation contract.

As you may know, reengineering is a major, new initiative of top-
down leadership, attempting major dramatic gains in
productivity, efficiency, lower costs and increased quality.
The HSPLS Reengineering Project has the support of
Governor Cayetano and the Board of Education.
The Governor has publicly stated that HSPLS is a role model
 for all of State Government, in our reengineering endeavor.

I would like to thank library customers for their patience and
understanding as we proceed in this historic reengineering of  the
state public library system. While many in the public sector complain
about their lack of resources and inability to deliver public services;
and  while many taxpayers complain about paying too much taxes
and their right to  all the previous services, but at a higher quality;
the Hawaii State Public Library System has found a way to do more
with less, and at a higher quality."
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Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Capitol View  By Richard Borreca
Wednesday, June 12, 1996
State libraries should be open longer

WHERE is it written that a successful library is one that you can walk
into,use and then leave at your convenience? Obviously not in Hawaii,
where the chances are good that the library in your neighborhood is
closed (1) for structural modifications less massive than the pyramids
but taking almost as long to complete, or (2) because the staff is being
trained.

If saving money by slamming doors in the faces of Hawaii's young
 readers  is the way to go, then the state libraries should be listed
on the NASDAQ with other hot properties.

This month the libraries are holding a veritable festival of closings
as again the librarians get two days of training on a new computer
system.The state's gleaming flagship, the Hawaii State Library, is
open a total of 53 hours during the week, which includes being dark
on Sunday. In comparison, Borders Books & Music is able to remain
open 98 hours aweek.

It wouldn't be fair to compare Borders and the main library because
the state does offer many other services. Research and on-line
reservation ofbooks are two services that commercial operations
would find hard to duplicate without hefty charges.

Still, it would not be unfair to inquire if newly reappointed librarian
Bart Kane, who has had the job for 15 years, is doing enough to
open doors.School board members, who gave Kane another year
at his annual $85,300 post, said while they have asked about the
closed libraries in the past, the matter didn't come up during the
15-minute discussion before reappointing him.

ONE school board member, Mike Compton, said Kane wins the
support of the governor, Legislature and the school board.
The public's inability to get at the stacks wasn't viewed as a
minus by the board. If the board doesn't hear  the public,
however, why have an elected board?

Every hour a public library remains open is an hour of success.
Therefore, every hour it is closed is an hour of failure. Someone
 must be responsible for both the good and bad.

Public libraries are America's gift to the philosophy of open
government and democracy. Hawaii's shuttered and barred
libraries mock every library card holder in the state.
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 HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN
 Letters to the Editor
 Thursday, September 12, 1996

  Why is mainland company  choosing library books?
   Holly J. Huber

I am disappointed to learn that a North Carolina firm is currently in
charge of selecting and purchasing books for the Hawaii state libraries.
Under the guise of cost-cutting, control over the libraries' collections
has been taken out of the hands of local librarians.

Perhaps this mainland firm is responsible for the State Library's recent
purchase of 61 copies of Newt Gingrich's novel, "1945" - a book
notorious for its extremely poor sales.

Hawaii's libraries have more copies of Gingrich's novel than they do
 fourout of five of the local fiction best-sellers. This disparity is not due
to
readership demand - 59 of 61 Gingrich novels were on the shelves on
Saturday, Sept. 7.

Hawaii's librarians have experience serving Hawaii's library patrons.
They know their readers and can monitor and respond to local
requests and tastes.

Please contact the state librarian, Bart Kane, at 586-3704 and urge him
 to put Hawaii's librarians back in charge of Hawaii's books.
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Honolulu Star  Bulletin
October 4, 1996
Section=Main; Page=7
Kane sees book-buying solutions in 60 days
BY SUSAN KREIFELS, Star-Bulletin

State librarian Bart Kane, acknowledging problems with a
mainland contractor hired to supply books for Hawaiiis
libraries, said start-up kinks should be resolved within
60 days.

At a news conference yesterday,  Kane said the mix-ups were
outweighed by the money saved in paying professional
book-buyers  to  fill library shelves.  He said the saving,
in the face of 25 percent  cuts in library funding,  prevented
layoff of 124 employees and  closing 20 to 24 libraries.

"I  don't  believe any library purchases books cheaper.  This
(contract) is a model for the future," Kane said.

Local  librarians have complained that a recent shipment
of  books from Baker & Taylor included 470 selections costing
close to $10,000 that already were in state libraries.

Kane said legal challenges to another contract held up
deliveries of best-seller fiction titles. The library bought
$25,000 worth of emergency purchases of best sellers to
fill the void, creating the duplications.

Another complaint reportedly involved a future shipment
that was to include 31 copies of  "A  Practical  Guide to Lambs and  Lambing
Care,"  which  librarians  called  useless in Hawaii because sheep are not
raised here.  Kane said the problem again was due to the acquisition
company's inability to get into computer information that was held up by the
contested contract. He said the  books on lambs were not sent nor was the
state charged for them.

Mitsugi Nakashima, chairman of the state Board of Education,
which oversees the library system, said the reported concerns
about books purchases are "reasonable and understandable.
The Board of Education expects Mr. Kane to answer those
concerns and remedy the situation."

Using Baker & Taylor to buy books puts the average cost of
each one  is $20.94. Had the library staff chose and purchased
the books,  the average cost would be about $35 each, Kane
said.  The firm  signed  a  5 1/2-year contract for $11.2
million to choose and buy  all new books for the Hawaii
libraries.

Kane said many library staffers dislike the new contract.
"Generally library employees would still prefer to do the
acquisition themselves. That is partly why they go to library
school."
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HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN
Letters to the Editor
Wednesday, October 23, 1996

Exporting jobs seems to be a growth industry
It was bad enough when we received the State Librarian's $200,000
survey, done by some Utah company.   Now we hear Bart Kane has
contracted a North Carolina company to perform library work
previously done by Hawaii residents.  Kane claims that Governor
Cayetano and the BOE approved of his plan to contract out work.

The governor is sending prison jobs out of state, and is now
contracting out library jobs. The hypocritical Thumbs Up campaign
couldn't even convince our government officials to keep jobs and
taxpayers' money in Hawaii.

No wonder our local economy is in the dumps! At least we can still
export something . . . our local jobs!
Ken Mumaw (Kailua)
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Honolulu  Star Bulletin
October 29, 1996
Section=Main; Page=3

Public asked to help fill library shelves
A support group's drive coincides with criticism
of a book-buying contract
BY MARY ADAMSKI, Star-Bulletin

The Friends of the Library of Hawaii will ask the public to
help fill spaces left on public library shelves by $6 million
in state budget cuts. The group, which supports the library
system with its annual sale of used books, will "give
librarians a chance to plug the holes," said Caroline Dvojacki,
executive director of the  Friends of the Library.

Her announcement of the project was a bit of good news in
the midst of negative comments at a Board of Education
committee meeting yesterday.  The Committee on Public
Libraries heard from several state library employees and
retirees attacking the book-buying contract implemented
this year with a North Carolina firm Baker & Taylor.
They complained that librarians can better respond to local
reading interests than the East Coast company.

Hawaii State Library reference librarian Joyce Kidani said her
section has not been updated since the outside buying contract
took effect in July. "We have received no computer books, no
science books, no carpentry books. We are set in a mid-1995
time warp."  Kidani said reference books cost much more than
the $20.94 per book price that the state pays Baker & Taylor.

"Can I do better than Baker & Taylor?   The whole
world can  do  better  than Baker & Taylor," Kidani
said.
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