Language access in the Library

In the 2006 session, the Hawaii Legislature passed HB 2778, CD1 (pdf, 7pp/20kB) (Act 290, SLH 2006), which provides for the language access needs of persons with limited English proficiency.

Act 290 has been codified in Part II of chapter 371, Hawaii Revised Statutes, §§371-31 through 371-37. §371-33 requires state agencies to "take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to services, programs, and activities by limited English proficient persons, which will be determined by a totality of circumstances..." In response, the Library has acquired dictionaries for the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Ilocano, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, adding to the Hawaiian dictionaries already in its collection. All dictionaries may be found in the reference section.