The Hawai'i Public Library System may have to close some library branches intermittently and substantially pare back public service hours, but no libraries would be permanently closed, according to a $5.7 million budget reduction plan before the state Board of Education.

State Librarian Richard Burns yesterday presented BOE members with a budget plan that was much different from a plan he proposed six weeks ago that would have closed five libraries in rural and Neighbor Island communities.

Pending the results of negotiations with labor unions, libraries may have to close an additional four days a month to accommodate employee furloughs. The plan also calls for the elimination of 72 vacant job positions, which is likely to cause intermittent branch closures or further hour reductions at dozens of branches statewide, according to the plan, which is likely to be considered at the BOE's Sept. 3 meeting.

Burns said those vacant positions have traditionally been filled with temporary hires and have allowed many libraries to remain open. If those positions are eliminated, some libraries will be left with only one permanent employee.

"Our staff will be spread so thin as to leave many of our branches vulnerable to having to be closed on a temporary basis due to lack of staff," Burns told board members.

Three libraries — Holualoa and Kealakekua on the Big Island and Lahaina on Maui — each have only one permanent employee.

An additional 28 public libraries have only two employees. At those libraries, hours may have to be cut or intermittent closures scheduled if employees become sick, go on vacation or are otherwise unable to work.

Several board members, including those representing Neighbor Islands, objected to the plan, saying rural library branches are being targeted since they traditionally have fewer employee than urban Honolulu branches.

"If we're going to shut down for a day or so, then I think Honolulu should shut down for a day or two, as well," said Maggie Cox, who represents Kaua'i on the board.

Keith Fujio, the administrative services director for the library system, told board members that if current spending levels are left unchanged, the system would run out of money by the middle of May 2010.

"The other thing that could happen is we keep spending the way that we are and we run out of money and we all close," Fujio said.

Other board members suggested that library officials reconsider their previous plan, which would have shuttered three libraries on the Big Island — Holualoa Public Library, Pahala Public/School Library and Kealakekua Public Library — as well as 'Ewa Beach Public/School Library on O'ahu and Hana Public /School Library on Maui by the end of the year.

Board member Breene Harimoto said closing a set of libraries rather than hindering an entire system of libraries with intermittent closures makes more sense.

"Perhaps we need to go back to the unspeakable, and that is, which libraries should we close?" he said.