Lahaina Library Update

Aloha Maui Friends of the Library!

It’s been just over a year since the devastating fires took the lives of too many community members and destroyed hundreds of homes, businesses and historic buildings, including our Lahaina Public Library. We’re thankful that our staff are safe and grateful to all those who have been helping the community heal.

The Lahaina Public Library opened on Mar. 4, 1956 on the site of a former royal taro patch belonging to King Kamehameha III. It burned down during the Lahaina fire of 2023. This photo was taken prior to the fire.

We have focused on three phases:

1. Immediate services

2. A temporary library pop-up

3. A permanent location

For the immediate phase, we deployed our Holoholo Bookmobile to provide limited services to the residents of Lahaina and West Maui. Mahalo to our amazing staff who have been delivering excellent services to the community. We will continue this service until we have temporary library space in the area.

The 2016 Farber International 30-foot long bookmobile was specifically designed for Maui under the direction of nationally respected consultant Michael Swendrowski who has helped more than 100 municipalities create custom bookmobiles from Washington DC to islands in the Caribbean.

We have been looking for a suitable location for a temporary library "pop-up" location, but space is limited due to the fires, and it’s taking longer than we had hoped. We want to make sure that the community has more consistent services while we work to rebuild a new Lahaina Public Library. We remain optimistic that we will find a temporary location.

We want to make sure that the community has more consistent services while we work to rebuild a new Lahaina Public Library.

Concurrently, we are working with community, county, and state planning representatives to identify a new permanent location for the Lahaina Library. We will not rebuild on the current location on the coast because it is home to culturally significant Native Hawaiian sites. Once the permanent location is determined, we will initiate the planning, design, and permitting process. FEMA has committed $9.9 million to the rebuilding of the new library, but we know the actual cost will be far higher. We anticipate working with the governor and legislature to meet future funding needs.

While we know it will take a few years to build a new library, we will continue to ensure that there are library services, and work to create more consistent services through a temporary and later permanent location.

Our libraries are valuable community hubs that enhance social bonds and offer crucial services to all age groups and backgrounds. A big “Thank You” to the Maui Friends of the Library for continued dedication and support of the Hawai'i State Public Library System's mission to create opportunities for all to read, learn, and connect.

Mahalo, Stacey Aldrich

Stacey A. Aldrich is the State Librarian for the Hawai’i State Public Library System