Question: Whatever happened to the bill aimed at giving nonprofit groups more leeway in supporting their local state library branch?
Answer: State lawmakers last spring passed a bill, dubbed at the Legislature as Big Friends vs. Little Friends, to legalize a fundraising practice that has been going on for decades.
After learning in 2010 that holding book sales on public library grounds to help their neighborhood library was illegal, members of the group Friends of Aina Haina Library got a civics lesson on the legislative process.
"All we wanted to do was to sell books," said Sharon Nagasako, 62, vice president of the Friends of Aina Haina Library. "It really was a crash course. We didn’t have any experience. It was very difficult for us."
On July 11, Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed into law House Bill 1054, which authorizes affiliates of the Friends of the Library of Hawaii and other nonprofits to direct fundraising proceeds to their local library branch and not have the funds go to statewide use.
"We are very, very grateful," Nagasako said. "Without the legislators’ help, we would be nowhere. We just hope that all of the Friends will prosper, whether they belong to the ‘Big Friends’ (the statewide Friends of the Library organization) or independents."
The new law also allows nonprofits to operate concessions, vending machines and other activities on library grounds. The nonprofits may also maintain their own accounts for the net proceeds of their fundraising, under specified conditions.
The Friends of the Library of Hawaii, with 35 affiliates, is the main nonprofit organization that raises money for Hawaii’s 50 public library branches.
In 2010, a Friends of the Library of Hawaii representative attended a Friends of Aina Haina Library meeting, urging that group to join the statewide group.
When the Aina Haina group declined, preferring to remain autonomous, its members were told their fundraising activities at the library were illegal because only the statewide Friends group and its affiliates could raise money on library property. In addition, the state Attorney General’s Office concluded that all income from book sales on state library property should be deposited into the Hawaii State Library Foundation trust fund, instead of going to individual branches.
When the Aina Haina Friends were turned down by the state librarian from getting a waiver that would allow them to continue book sales, they turned to Sen. Sam Slom (R, Diamond Head-Hawaii Kai).
A group of five women from the Aina Haina Friends lobbied for the bill until its passage.
"Because we knew that the ‘library bill’ would benefit all of the library friends groups in Hawaii, and not just the Aina Haina Friends, we did not give up," Nagasako said.
This update was written by Leila Fujimori. Suggest a topic for "Whatever Happened To…" by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.
