The Space & Physical Access

The Kihei Public Library is located on the island of Maui in Kihei, Hawaii.  Waimahaihai Street is two blocks long and dead-ends at the beach.  The library sits one block up from the ocean and one block off the main road.  It is prime beach real estate and lies on ancient burial grounds.  It has a community center feel.  It has ample parking, handicap accessible parking, and an outdoor book drop.  The hours are limited but vary during the week to allow accessibility to patrons.  Tuesday open 12pm-7pm, Wednesday/Thursday/Saturday open 9am-4pm, Friday open 11am-4pm.  They are closed on Mondays and Sundays.         

The building is now twenty-five years old but looks very modern from the outside.  Upon entering the double glass doors, one takes a left and you are located at the intersection, or L-shaped space, with the circulation desk being at the front.  In this front area are DVD rentals, Audio Books, as well as bulletin boards displaying community information and a public copy machine.  For being the newest library building on the island, I expected the furniture to be more modern, yet the display cabinets (showcasing student artwork) and some DVD displays felt clunky and outdated.  The first thing I noticed upon entering was an annoying, loud, buzzing sound.  I figured out it was a fan in the bathrooms, which were located near the entrance.  This was unfortunate as it was the first nuisance I experienced, and it colored my overall feel for the place immediately upon entry.  I walked through the ceiling-high stacks and discovered several cozy seating areas, all which were occupied.  It felt cozy in these areas with natural lighting entering through big picture windows.  There are no private meeting spaces or office-type spaces of any kind for patron-use in this building.  

Hawaii State Pulic Library System.  (n.d.).  Kihei Public Library.  Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.librarieshawaii.org/branch/kihei-public-library/

People (Patrons & Staff)

There are five total employees at the Kihei branch.  One manager, one youth services librarian, one assistant, and two in charge of circulation.  The manager was not overly friendly when I met her, but she was helpful. The youth services librarian was very friendly and I interviewed her as my librarian.  Both the manager and youth services librarians have MLIS degrees.  The several times I visited the library, there was always activity with a variety of people inside.  There is a large homeless population in Kihei and I imagine the library serves people who need to get out of the heat and sun, and where one can access water, public restrooms, and free Wifi.  The Youth and Children’s Librarian mentioned that she had a hard time targeting teens to access the library as it is not geographically close to any middle schools.  From my experience, the town itself is not that large and much of the central area could be accessed via bicycle if desired. Rubin and Rubin (2020) say, “public libraries must be active in making their case to the citizenry and demonstrating their value to all the members of the public” (p. 85).  It is true, if youth are not getting involved, the library needs to find the hook or incentivize their visits to get them through the public library doors. I did notice many parents with small children browsing DVD’s and the children’s section.  I also noticed many retired individuals relaxing in the seating that was available.  A local man told me Kihei has many retired folks and many young families living in the community.  A new high school is even in the process of being built in town.             

Digital Access

The Kihei Public Library website is a part of the Hawaii State Public Library System.  Everything within the library system is overseen and run by the state of Hawaii.  The Kihei branch website itself has very minimal information on it–hours, access, and services provided.  The library has Wifi throughout and there are several computer stations near the circulation desk with 12 desktop computers for patron use.  There are also printers and copiers for use.  The homepage for the Hawaii State Public Library System is very user friendly for the public.  One can browse the entire state collection and have access to over 101 databases, as well as view all available programming at each branch.  Staff cannot be found anywhere on the website.  It is evident that they are here to serve residents of Hawaii and want services to be equitable among all islands.              

Services & Intellectual Access

Before COVID the Youth and Children’s librarian had a vibrant Children’s program to offer the community, including various story times, pajama night, movie night, family day, etc.  There has been a reading program offered throughout July in three-day sessions lengths, and there is hope to restart two children’s programs in August. The literacy program is offered by the state through all the branches in Hawaii.  As I dug deeper into the organization of the state library system, it seemed that Hawaii did not want to see discrepancies among the islands.  They wanted fair and equal services offered to their 51 branches throughout six islands.  I believe Hawaii has continued to take additional precautions with COVID as all the library staff were masked and many seating areas (tables with chairs) were taped off and unavailable for patron use.  They were still practicing social distancing within the building although masks were not required upon entry.  I believe they serve a diverse range of patrons at the Kihei branch.          

Collections

The total collection size is approximately 70,000.  This is the second largest collection in Maui County.  The Youth and Children’s librarian boasted of her newly weeded and refreshed collection, which happened to be the largest Children’s and Youth Collection on the Island.  I thought this area of the library felt the most modern and pleasant.  Bookshelves were lower (obviously to aid children’s access) but allowed for more natural light and a sense of openness.  The Children’s tables lined a wall of windows looking out onto the library courtyard.  There was even a reading nook that was surrounded by three sides of windows which made it very bright and pleasant for hosting story hours and activities.    

Other

Originally the library was started by volunteers and a nonprofit called, Friends of the Library of Hawaii.  In 1981 they opened up under the Kihei Community Association.  In 1988 they became a part of the state public library system.  In 1996 they adopted a new 18,700 square feet library which is the largest library building in Maui county.  I had hoped to see more beautiful landscaping as Maui is lush with plants and foliage, but I was disappointed in that regard.  I also expected to see the use of more modern furniture and decor throughout the building, but that did not meet my expectation.  All in all, I was pleased with the overall space offered to this small but active community.  

References

Rubin, R. E., & Rubin, R. G.  (2020).  Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.).  ALA Neal-Schuman.

Weidner, E. (2022).  Kihei Public Library-children.  [photograph].  Retrieved from Personal Collection.  CC BY-NC

Weidner, E. (2022).  Kihei Public Library-circulation.  [photograph].  Retrieved from Personal Collection.  CC BY-NC

Weidner, E. (2022).  Kihei Public Library-stacks.  [photograph].  Retrieved from Personal Collection.  CC BY-NC

Hawaii State Public Library System.  (n.d.).  Kihei Public Library.  Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.librarieshawaii.org/branch/kihei-public-library/