Hawaii: Contacts

[Pat Wallace <DENWALL@AOL.COM>]

Librarians in Hawaii still need your support.  Here is a list of
contacts sent to me by librarians in the state public library
system there:
*************************************************
Ms. Kelly King, who is chair of the Hawaii State Board of Education Committee
on Public Libraries, can be reached at
<keking@makani.k12.hi.us>

According to Laurel Indalecio, now ex Children's Librarian in Hawaii, "The
BOE consists of people who are elected...The BOE is responsible for keeping
Bart in his position. It was the BOE who approved this stupid contract.  When
Bart says jump, the BOE says how high."
Date:  Mon, Nov 18, 1996
From:  laurel@netra.lib.state.hi.us (Laurel Indalecio)
To: denwall@aol.com

In a post to RPE-L on 9-28-06 Ms. King said: >>As chair of the libraries
comm., I take the recent public concern very seriously.<<
In light of the information given above (See "Chickens Come
Home to Roost" 11-23), one wonders why she and the BOE did not take the
overall history of public concern over Bart Kane's ethics and prudence more
seriously before blindly following his recommended unprecedented outsourcing
of selection to a single vendor.

According to Sandra Kollage, librarian at HSPLS, in a post to me on Nov.
19th:
>>We have no word of plans of the Board of Education or the >>union, Hawaii
Government Employees' Association (a branch >>of AFSCME), to do anything.
>>(sandra@netra.lib.state.hi.us)

Stephanie Strickland, Librarian at HSPLS and a member of the board of the
Hawaii Librarians' Association, said in an e-mail to me on Nov. 21st
(From steph@netra.lib.state.hi.us):
>>You have asked if a copy of the B&T contract is available.
>>Every library received a copy.  The copy was delivered long
>>after it was signed, sealed, and delivered.  We completed
>>B&T's standardized profile sheets before we knew how much
>>money we had or that a single unit was going to cost $20.94.
>>The addendum to the contract was signed 28 March 1996.
>>Libraries received a copy in either late May or early June.

>>Does our union, HGEA, plan to do anything?  They haven't so far.
>>Many of us have contacted them.  I have sent them many >>faxes and called
them on numerous occasions.
>>They seem to think (personal opinion) that we should be >>lucky that we
have a job.
>>If we could get organized - we might put some pressure on
>>them to do something.

>>The Friends of the Library have not, to my knowledge, been
>>advocates for the libraries during this time.  I suggest you
>>contact, or send copies of e-mail to Carol Schaafsma - >>this years
president.  Her e-mail address:

 carols@hawaii.edu

>>The president of HLA (Hawaii Librarians' Association, Larry
>>Osborne, is the interim dean of the School of Library and
>>Information Studies at the University of Hawaii.   HLA had a
>>meeting last night.  We are working on something to support
>>librarians and libraries.  I do not know which form it will
>>take at this time.  You can send e-mail to Larry at

  osborne@hawaii.edu

Finally, Stephanie observes:

>>The political power structure is a massive jigsaw puzzle.  >>One powerful
BOE member said that Bart Kane could have >>anything he wanted without going
through BOE.  Why?  >>Because he has the support of the governor.  Mr. Kane
gave >>BOE the contract for
>>Dynix one night. They gave a blanket okay without reading >>one word.  This
BOE meeting was held January 25, 1996.
>>We received minutes of this meeting on 22 August 1996.

*************************************************     Suzanne McElfresh
(suzmc@nwklib.laca.ohio.gov)
sums it up pretty well in a recent post to me (Nov 18, 1996):
>>For the most part the people who are directly involved in >>this mess are
pretty much powerless and not being listened to.
>>It is very frustrating when you are a professional with years >>of
experience (and most likely common sense) and you are treated
>>like a child who should be seen and not heard.  I think in
>>libraryland this isn't all that uncommon (how many articles
>>have you read in the professional journals lamenting whether
>>or not librarians are treated with the same respect that >>other
professions get).

>>I guess the best thing to do is to try some more effective
>>programs in our own libraries before someone on high >>decides to try their
own (with disasterous results).

And finally, Johanna Halbeisen observed in a post to me
(Nov. 18th):

>>Don't know that we can organize to change what Hawaii is
>>doing.  We *can* make people aware so it is less likely to >>happen
anywhere else.  And as that happens, the people who >>are responsiblefor the
Hawaii decision may see their way to
>>changing their plan.

>>Another thing is supporting the librarians in Hawaii however
>>we can, writing to them (if possible) and letting others know
>>about their situation.  You've done this with LM)NET, being >>the primary
source of info for us.

From:  jhalbei@k12.oit.umass.edu
Johanna Halbeisen
Woodland Elementary School(K-4)
Southwick, Mass
**********************************************
Pat Wallace    denwall@aol.com