Mold-free Hau'ula library open

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http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Aug/08/ln/ln49a.html

Thursday, August 8, 2002

Mold-free Hau'ula library open

By Eloise Aguiar

Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

HAU'ULA - Half of the shelves in the Hau'ula Elementary School library sit

empty after mold destroyed about $60,000 worth of books and forced the

closure of the facility all of last school year because of potential health

risks.

Hau'ula Elementary's library is open again, thanks in part to volunteers

like Nicky Vivas, a parent who helped vacuum mold from books.

Advertiser library photo . Feb. 26, 2002

But finally the mold is gone and the library is open again after a

labor-intensive eradication effort that lasted a year and required hundreds

of hours of work by volunteers. The situation highlighted what has now been

acknowledged as a problem in at least 12 more schools and led to changes at

this tiny Windward school to protect the rest of its collection.

The reopening coincided with the start of school July 31, and though

Hau'ula's 320 students are happy to have their library back, it's a facility

with a reduced collection that could interfere with research projects and

limits the selection of books a child can borrow.

Of the 12,000 books the school once had, about 4,000 were discarded.

" The fairy tale and science collection was hit hardest because of their

location in the library, " said school librarian Zane.

The two collections, along with the Hawaiiana section, which also sustained

great loss, are next to an exit door that Zane believes was a main

contributor to the mold problem.

The door, on the ocean side of the building, let in moisture every time it

was opened, she said, adding that the mold near the door was greater than in

any other part of the room.

How you can help

.. Donate books or send money to Hau'ula Elementary School, 54-046 Kamehameha

Highway, Hau'ula, HI 96717.

.. Call principal Bradley Odagiri at 293-8925.

The school is looking at ways to secure the door, which must remain unlocked

because it is an emergency exit, Zane said.

In the meantime, the school is scrambling to replace its lost inventory,

applying for a grant for reference books and seeking donations. About 1,000

used and new books have been given to the school, said principal Bradley

Odagiri.

" We appreciate any support we can get, " Odagiri said, adding that money

might be better because that would allow the librarian to select books that

meet the school's curriculum needs. At $15 per library book, the school

would need $60,000 to replace its losses.

About 50 boxes filled with donated books are stacked against the library

wall waiting to be reviewed and sorted. Not all are library material, some

because they lack a sturdy binding, and others because they are not

considered appropriate reading for elementary school children.

With no clear guidelines about how to deal with the mold, the school had to

work on its own to figure out how to handle the problem. The Windward

District Office did eventually provide some financing and the Department of

Education provided manpower to help move the books.

Zane and a small group of volunteers cleaned the library, and Brigham Young

University-Hawai'i froze the salvageable books, killing the mold growing in

them.

With the cleaning and freezing ordeal behind them, Odagiri said steps have

been taken to protect the remaining collection, including adding three

dehumidifiers and readjusting the air conditioner. The library also will get

a new air conditioner.

" We don't want to go through that again, " he said.

Zane said she thinks the problem worsened when schools were asked to cut

their budgets and the recommendation was made to save on energy costs by

shutting off the air conditioner at night, on weekends and holidays.

Air conditioning helps keep the collection dry, she said. When the air

conditioner is off, moisture accumulates and mold grows. No one seemed to

consider the long-term effects this short-term solution would have on the

books, she said.

Since Hau'ula's mold problem came to light, more than 12 other libraries

have complained about similar conditions, Zane said.

" So the question becomes, 'How much money did they really save by turning

off the electricity?' " she said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@... or 234-5266.