Kahului Library to Reopen After 10 Month Closure

The Kahului Public Library in Central Maui will reopen on January 4, 2011, following the completion of an air-conditioner replacement project that took longer than anticipated.

File photo by Wendy Osher.

Kahului Library. Photo by Wendy Osher.

The library, which serves as the regional library for Maui,  has been closed since February 19, 2010.  The 48-year-old facility was forced to delay its reopening after encountering unanticipated challenges including the collapse of air ducts and failure of the system condenser.  When the problems were corrected, the condensers for the Library’s other system shut down as well.

“We sincerely apologize to all Maui residents who were inconvenienced by this extended closure,” said State Librarian Richard Burns.  “Our library staff shared in your frustrations at each delay and we appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued patronage,” said Burns.

Air-conditioning was first installed in the building more than 20 years ago, during a 1987 renovation project.  That project doubled the size of the library to its current 16,000 square foot capacity.

Library staff are now tasked with unpacking, sorting and shelving thousands of library materials that were removed during the extended closure.  The work, in addition to a final inspection and professional cleaning will be completed before the reopening.

During the project, the Hawaii State Public Library System worked with representatives from the state Department of Accounting and General Services to secure additional funding, amend contracts, and order additional equipment from the mainland.

(Posted by Wendy Osher, supporting information courtesy Hawaii State Public Library System)  *** If you enjoyed this post, you may also like our story on the rebuilding efforts following a fire at Kahului School.