Community Pulls Together Around UH Manoa Library

-- Library Journal, 11/22/2004

Librarians at the University of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa's Hamilton Library are being deluged again, this time with support from the community and fellow librarians. A flash flood swept through the library on October 30, damaging collections and shutting down much of the building. Diane Perushek, UH University Librarian, explained librarians' spirits have been boosted by support ranging from the chancellor and the president of UH's ten-campus system, to visits from other would-be helpers, including paper conservators, rare book preservation librarians, and local well-wishers. "This is a very supportive community, Perushek noted. Hotels and local businesses are sending free lunches to us every day, and many, many people are offering up their time to volunteer in our clean-up process. Over 40 of our librarians and staff lost everything in their work areas, and everyday the stress still brings someone to tears," Perushek added.

Despite the destruction of UH Manoa's main library, the school is finding ways to continue library service. "UH Manoa has a second library on campus that was not flooded and did not lose power," she said. "Students are able to go there for reference assistance, study space, and access to electronic resources," which was restored within one week after the flood. In addition, the library introduced a paging service to students and faculty. Students and faculty can request items and the library sends runners up to the shelves to get the requested item. ILL is also being used to fill requests for items destroyed.