WHEREAS, public and school libraries are combined library facilities where students must share library facilities with the general public; and

WHEREAS, there are twelve public and school libraries in the State that are located on school campuses, including: Kea'au Public and School Library, Laupahoehoe Public and School Library, Mountain View Public and School Library, Pahala Public and School Library, Pahoa Public and School Library, and Waimea's Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library on the island of Hawaii; Hana Public and School Library on the island of Maui; Lana'i Public and School Library on the island of Lana'i; Ewa Beach Public and School Library, Kahuku Public and School Library, and Waimanalo Public and School Library on the island of Oahu; and Koloa Public and School Library on the island of Kaua'i; and

WHEREAS, most public and school libraries are located in rural areas where limited facilities exist and public transportation is insufficient to provide ease of access; and

WHEREAS, there is already a great need to improve and update our existing libraries, especially those in rural areas, because of inadequate facilities, growing populations, and handicapped accessibility requirements; and

WHEREAS, access to libraries is important to our children, their parents, the general public, and the schools in encouraging learning, maintaining literacy, furthering education, providing opportunities for research and analysis, and serving recreational purposes; and

WHEREAS, access to available resources such as reference materials, the Internet, and audio and visual materials is essential to the general public in obtaining information, especially in underserved communities, which are often in rural districts; and

WHEREAS, on January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, placing an enhanced emphasis on reading for elementary school students, including establishing educational achievement standards for reading; and

WHEREAS, the No Child Left Behind Act places an increased demand on libraries by encouraging reading, especially at the family level; and

WHEREAS, many issues of concern have been raised regarding the use of school libraries by the general public, including:

WHEREAS, the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and the Hawaii State Public Library System recently agreed that combined public and school libraries should be separated, with general public library services being provided in locations other than school campuses; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and the Hawaii State Public Library System are requested to develop a strategic plan to separate public and school libraries in a timely manner that will ultimately enhance levels of service for the community and for students; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and the Hawaii State Public Library System are requested to include in the plan:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education is requested to ensure that the strategic plan address how the levels of service for the current library system will be maintained as the process of separation is implemented; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and the Hawaii State Public Library System are requested to submit the strategic plan to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Education, and the State Librarian.

Report Title:

School Libraries; Long-Range Plans