Hawai'i's state library system is facing budget cuts of more than $5.7 million, nearly 20 percent of current spending, which could lead to the closing of branches and cutting of hours.

"We don't have many options," said Keith Fujio, administrative services director for the library system. "At the 20 percent (budget cut level), we were saying we'd be closing between 10 to 12 libraries."

How libraries will deal with a 20 percent cut will not be decided until after legal challenges to Gov. Linda Lingle's furlough plans for state employees are resolved, library officials said. However, Fujio pointed to previous budget reduction plans as a guide.

In October, library officials said cuts of $4.5 million — about 15 percent of the library system's roughly $30 million budget — would result in the closure of up to six branches and the elimination of several dozen positions.

State Librarian Richard Burns will present the plans for dealing with budget cuts at a July 9 special meeting of the state Board of Education.

The BOE may not be able to save the library system from these cuts, said board member Donna Ikeda.

"Unfortunately, our hands are tied at this point. The governor is calling the shots," she said. "You're taking away a valuable resource at a time when people need it the most."

The library's response to budget reductions relies heavily on legal challenges to the governor's furlough plans. A ruling on those challenges may come today in Circuit Court in Honolulu.

Lingle cannot furlough employees at the state Department of Education or in the Hawai'i State Public Library System, since they are both governed by the state Board of Education. Instead, she is restricting the library budget by the equivalent of three furlough days a month staffwide, which amounts to about $2.78 million in fiscal year 2010 and $2.9 million in fiscal year 2011.

Those reductions are on top of some $2.96 million cut by the state Legislature.

Fujio said he is currently crafting two separate budget reduction plans, one that will include some furloughs of employees and one that will not.

"Our budget is 80 percent personnel. ... When you cut us 20 percent, guess what? There's not much places to take it from," he said.

The blow will be devastating to the system of 50 branches, which has already been struggling for the past several years to recover from severe staff shortages during budget reductions in 1995 and 2003.

The system also has been working for the past five years to recover from a cut of 200 public service hours at its branches.