The Pursuit of Space

During its ninety years, Hawaii Medical Library has had several homes. The Library has constantly struggled to find space for its ever growing collection of books and journals. After twenty-seven years of limbo, the Library got its first permanent home in 1941 as part of the Mabel Smyth Memorial Building. But with the addition of new materials every year, the Library ran out of space in less than twenty years. A new building, designed specifically for the Library, opened in 1965. Today, that building continues to serve as Hawaii Medical Library's home.

Sources:
Civin WH. History of the Medical Library. Hawaii Med J 1956 Mar-Apr;15(4):342-4.
Hastert M. History of the Hawaii Medical Library. Hawaii Med J 1988 May;47(5);210-1:216.

Iolani Palace Bungalow (1914-1916)
Governor Lucius Pinkham turned over two rooms in the bungalow to the Territorial Medical Society for its use. The rooms were refurbished. Dr. C.B. Cooper donated several hundred volumes from the collection of the late Dr. J.S. McGrew. Mrs. C.B. Wood presented the library of her uncle Dr. Hugo Stangenwald.

This arrangement did not last very long. In 1916 the library was moved to a room in Queen's Hospital.

Library of Hawaii (1921-1923)
The Honolulu Medical Society used space in the library. The Society's library eventually move to Queen's Hospital in 1923.

Library of Hawaii Building Facts
(Renamed Hawaii State Library, 1981)
Architect: Henry D. Whitfield (New York); Charles W. Dickey (1927-1929); Aotani and Associates (1990-1992)

In 1913, the Library of Hawaii opened to the public. The building had 20,000 square feet. The collection and staff soon outgrew the building. An addition of two two-storied wings and an enclosed courtyard was completed in 1929 increasing the Library's floor space to 64,000 square feet.

Extensive renovations and construction completed in 1992 added a rear wing that extended the floor area of the existing floors and added a third floor. The building's square footage increased to about 107,000.

Source: Hawaii & Pacific Section, Hawaii State Library. "Hawaii State Library Timeline." Last updated: 11 January 2004. Online. Available: http://www.hawaii.gov/hidocs/hsltimelines.html. 17 March 2004.

Queen's Hospital
Twice in its history, the Library has resided at the Hospital. When the Library moved out of the Bungalow in 1916, a room at Queen's hospital became its new home. After the Society was forced to move its collection out of the Library of Hawaii, the collection was in flux. In 1934, the Library opened its doors to its home on the third floor of the Liholiho wing. The journal collection quickly grew once the Library joined the Medical Library Association in 1936 and was able to receive contributions from other medical libaries. Its quarters were always at risk by the increasing need of the Hospital for more space.

Mabel Smyth Building
Architect: C.W. Dickey (1871-1942)
Dedicated: January 1941
Details: Walls were of Philippine "Luan" hardwood. Double doors carved in a design of torch ginger.
Planning: The building was designed to consist of an assembly room for doctors and nurses' meetings and offices for the Medical Library, Nursing Service Bureau, Physicians' Exchange, and Board of Nursing Registration. In February 1937, Dickey was already drawing tentative plans for the building, while the various groups involved in the project were selecting a site. On January 2, 1940 the Building and Finance Committee approved Dickey's plans. By that time the lack of space at Queen's Hospital had further shrunk the Library's space.
Cost: Estimated cost of construction in 1939 was $84,450.

Adams Library in the Mabel Smyth Memorial Library

Charles R. Adams Medical Library
On March 24, 1937, Thelma Akana announced during a meeting of the Nurses Association's Board of Trustees that Mrs. Charles Adams agreed to endow the medical library and pay for that portion of the building. Mrs. Adams and the Dillingham families donated $20,000 for a physicians' library in the planned building. The Library resided on the second floor of the Mabel Smyth Building starting in December 1940. Despite this new space, it was not much longer until the library was bursting at the seams.

Space, Space, Space...
By 1958, the Library had outgrown the space it had in the Mabel Smyth Building. About one-fourth of the collection was being stored at Leahi Hospital. Even that did not alleviate the need for storage space.

Groundbreaking for the Hawaii Medical Library building

Hawaii Medical Library Building Timeline
October 1959: Library building consultants, John Eastlake and Isabelle Andersen, engaged to make recommendations for a building.
July 1961: Ground breaking ceremony.
June 1965: Building completed.
April 1973: Mezzanine completed.

Hawaii Medical Library Building Facts
Square Footage: 10,830
Construction Costs: $393,000
Architect: Vladimir Ossipoff, AIA
Contractor: K&M Sakamoto

View of Hawaii Medical Library's interior

Hawaii Medical Library Building
Even though the building was completed and occupied in 1965, only the main floor was ready. The basement and second floor were completed shells, lacking fixtures, flooring surfaces, and furniture.

Hawaii Medical Library Mezzanine
The mezzanine, which covers 8750 square feet, was left unfinished when the building was originally completed in 1965. About seven years after the building was finished, work to complete the mezzanine began: plastering, painting, carpeting, wiring, and lighting, and furnishing. In 1973 the mezzanine was ready to be used at a cost of $46,050.

Architect: Vladimir Ossipoff (1907-1998)
Ossipoff, a reknowned Hawaii architect, designed the building where HML currently resides. Born in Russia and raised in Japan, Ossipoff graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in architecture. Ossipoff was awarded the first medal of honor of the Hawaii chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In addition to HML's building, Ossipoff designed several notable buildings in Honolulu, including Bachman Hall at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Thurston Memorial Chapel at Punahou Schools, and the Pacific Club.

Source: "Vladimir Ossipoff." Honolulu Star-Bulletin 3 October 1998: 5 pars. Online. Available: http://starbulletin.com/98/10/03/editorial/editorials.html. 17 March 2004.

Prometheus
Bas relief
Artist: Edward M. Brownlee

"Early in the conceptual design, a sculpture at the entrance was envisoned. Fortunately, the concept was accepted as was scultpor Edward Brownlee's abstract "Prometheus," offering the Olympic "fire" to man (in this case the "fire" symbolizes "knowledge")."

Source: Ossipoff V. The architect reflects on the Hawaii Medical Library. Hawaii Med J 1988 May; 47(5):212.

Artist: Edward M. Brownlee (1929- )
Born in Portland, Oregon, Brownlee received his education at Oregon State University and at the California College of Arts and Crafts. In 1954, he was awarded a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Hawaii. In addition to having public works of art in Alaska, Oregon, and Fiji, Brownlee has several sculptural works in public areas around the state of Hawaii: Ala Moana Shopping Center, Honolulu International Airport, Punahou School Library, and Orvis Auditorium (University of Hawaii at Manoa). The Hawaii chapter of the American Institute of Architects recognized Brownlee with a special award for Outstanding Contributions of Art to Architecture.

Source: Artists of Hawaii. Volume One: Nineteen Painters and Sculptors. Honolulu: State Foundation on Culture & the Arts and University Press of Hawaii, 1974.