Latest Press Release Hawaii

[Pat Wallace <DENWALL@AOL.COM>]

A forwarded message from Hawaii.   Pat Wallace  denwall@aol.com
-------------------------------------------------------***********************
************************
Subj:  Latest Press Release Hawaii
Date:  Sat, Nov 16, 1996
From:  laindale@leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu
(Laurel L Indalecio)
Reply-to: laindale@leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu (Laurel L Indalecio)
To: denwall@aol.com

Hi Pat,
Here is the article I promised.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Honolulu Advertiser  Friday, November 15, 1996  A-16
"Library purchase policy bad"
Written by Benjamin E. Bess a Hawaii book publisher.

I would like to add my comments to the discussion about
the state librarian's decision to let outside sources select
books for local libraries.

This summer I attended the American Librarians Association
meeting in New York, and a wide variety of librarians
approached me with astonishment and incredulity over the
wisdom of "outsourcing".

University of Hawaii Press director William Hamilton, who
wrote about the outsourcing decision in The Advertiser
("Latest books about Hawaii and the Pacific? You won't find
them at state public libraries," Nov 10), is mistaken if he
thinks the "new buyer" for state libraries seems to favor
titles that sell better in bookstores."

New titles that are selling at record paces in local bookstores
are also unavailable in local libraries.  The jump page
headline on Hamilton's article ("Books: Price, not content, guides") is
simply wrong.

The problem has nothing to do with content or price--it has to do with the
structure of the system.

There are 49 public libraries in Hawaii and all of them have the"Goosebumps"
series by R.L. Stine, but not one has our recently published "Chicken skin:
True Spooky Stories of Hawaii," "The Musubi Man," "Shark Bites" or "Growing
Native Plants: A How-to Guide for the Gardener."

I'm sure these recently published books will eventually
find their way into the public library system, but it will
probably take months.  Books are timely, living documents
that provide readers with the latest and most
important information in specific fields.

As a strong supporter of public libraries, I am taking
the unprecedented step of giving 49 copies of all our
recently published books to the libraries.  I will have
personal satisfaction knowing they will reach the intended
audience they deserve.  As a small business man competing in
a tight economy, I would normally rely upon and welcome
these sales.

In a misguided attempt to save the state money, state
Librarian Bart Kane has taken away the single most
important decision a librarian makes:  choice.

"Outsourcing" should be done away with and each librarian should be given
back the right of choice.
-------------------------------------------------
End of Article
-------------------------------------------------
>In the meantime, the Bess Press will continue to literally >give away our
books to public libraries in the hopes that >sanity and logic will one day
return to the public library >system.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Unfortunely these books that Mr. Bess will donate, will sit >around
uncataloged like the rest of our gift donations.  There >are only a couple of
people doing the cataloging for the entire >state.  These people were deemed
"worthy" by Caroline >Spencer, Bart Kane, or Diane Eddy, of the secret
password >that allows this function in our new DYNIX system. There is >no way
a couple of people can do the cataloging for a system >as large as this one.
 So the books will wait in line with all >the rest.

>Various libraries have asked to do their own cataloging, but >are told by
Caroline Spencer "that it is not an option at this >time" (one of her
favorite little phrases).  I did ask why it >was not "an option" but was not
given an answer.  One of many >questions left unanswered.

Laurel Indalecio
*************************************************