Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 138 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure access to education and information that can be found in library resources by appropriating funds to support the Hawaii State Public Library bookmobiles (bookmobiles).

The Hanalei Watershed Hui and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. The Office of the State Librarian supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation of $1; and

Your Committee notes that concerns have been raised by the Office of the State Librarian regarding obstacles to the operation of bookmobiles, specifically, lack of personnel and bookmobiles that are in various states of disrepair. However, your Committee finds that bookmobile services provide important access to education and information in communities where library branches are far apart, especially on the neighbor islands.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 138, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 138, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.