Kane may end
book contract today

He sent a nonperformance letter
to mainland-based book distributor
Baker & Taylor 10 days ago

By Jim Witty
Star-Bulletin

With a performance deadline looming, it's business as usual at Oahu libraries. That could spell the end for a controversial book contract between the Hawaii State Public Library System and Baker & Taylor.

In a letter issued July 11, State Librarian Bart Kane gave the North Carolina-based supplier 10 days to correct nine areas in which the company has failed to perform according to the contract.

It required Baker & Taylor to ship more than 60,000 outstanding titles.

If the problems aren't corrected, Kane is expected to send Baker & Taylor a letter today terminating the $11.2 million contract for default and issue a claim for damages.

Branch librarians report little change in the quantity and quality of books they've been receiving. The contract ran into trouble over the quality and selection of books for the state's libraries.

Delia Fukuji, children's librarian at the Mililani Library, said yesterday that she received one picture book and 10 paperbacks from the supplier last week.

"The picture book was an old title that we already had five copies of, and half of the paperbacks I wouldn't have ordered," Fukuji said. "I've been very disappointed with the books they've sent. It looked like somebody was doing their housecleaning."

Mary Lou Taylor, a librarian at the Kaneohe branch, said she was surprised that there hasn't been an influx of books from the company since the ultimatum was issued.

"I don't think we're seeing any difference in the quantity or mix of books that we're receiving," she noted, adding that the new titles on display at the library are not necessarily the ones she or her colleagues would order.

Teen-ager Jonathan Peters, a regular patron of the Kaneohe Library and avid science fiction reader, said he's often disappointed with the library's selection.

"Sometimes they'll have only a couple of books in a science fiction series and not the rest of them," he said.

Landy Chapman said he's solved that problem by taking advantage of the computerized interlibrary system. "Because they have such a good interlibrary system, you can always get the book sent from another branch," he said.

But as a former librarian, Chapman said he recommends the state return to using staffers within the system to procure books, because they can unearth good buys and know what's circulating and what's not.

"We always had acquisitions librarians who were more than worth their weight," he said. "They worked smart. It seems to me the Baker & Taylor relationship does away with a lot of that. And a lot of that is necessary."

Last week, Baker & Taylor Vice President Arnie Wight said he disagreed on today's deadline and that he intends to respond to the Kane's letter on Friday -- 10 business days from July 11.

"Baker & Taylor is a very good book distributor," said Fukuji. "They've always supplied us with the books we ordered. ... But now, with them selecting the books, apparently they weren't very good at that."