Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions is where we list information about common questions about the library. Many of the topics are about the programs and services throughout the Hawaii State Library System. Click on the main term for a full explanation.
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- Account, Your Library
- You may review the status of books and other library materials that you have checked out. You will need your HSPLS library card and PIN number to access your account.
- Bookmobiles
- Bookmobiles or mobile libraries serve communities without library buildings. They also provide library services to those who have difficulty accessing libraries. Currently the Library runs bookmobiles for Kahuku, Wailuku, and Molokai.
- Borrowing Materials
- Your library card is your key to borrowing circulating materials at any Hawaii public library. Just present your card and library materials to the staff at the circulation desk. The staff member will scan the 10-digit bar codes on your library card and on your library materials with a laser reader, and the automated circulation system will immediately register the loans. The staff member will then stamp the due date on the materials.
- Branch Libraries and Locations
- There are 51 libraries which make up the Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS). They are located on the following islands: Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu. Addresses and telephone numbers are provided.
- Computer Use Reservation
- An explanation of how to schedule the use of a computer and the internet at the library.
- eBooks and Digital Audio Books
- HSPLS offers eBooks and Digital Audio Books from OverDrive/Digital Library Reserve.
- Email Reference
- The Hawaii State Library email reference service is designed to provide brief answers to simple factual questions. While we cannot do in-depth research for you, we can provide you with a brief answer or suggest resources that might help you in your search for information. Please use our E-Reference Form to submit your question. A librarian will usually respond within two business days.
- Fines and Fees
- Summarizes the fines for overdue materials and library cards, and fees for enhanced services such as video rental, room rental, copying and faxing, interlibrary loans, and custom research.
- House Rules
- General library use rules.
- Interlibrary Loans
- If the Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) doesn’t have the item you want, the Interlibrary Loan Unit at the Hawaii State Library can help you borrow it or get photocopies from libraries outside of our system.
- Passport Applications
- The main library and serveral branches throughout the state offer passport acceptance services. Please read "HSPLS's Passport Acceptance Information" carefully.
- Programs, Events, and Exhibits throughout the Library System
- A listing of programs, events, and exhibit at HSPLS libraries throughout the state.
- Renewing Materials
- Books and most other library materials may be renewed if there are no reserves on the items. Only one renewal per item is allowed. You may renew your materials at any public library, by calling the Telephone Renewal Unit of the Hawaii State Library (808-586-3652 from Oahu and 1-800-820-7368 from neighbor islands), or by calling any Hawaii public library.
- Returning Materials
- Most library materials do not have to be returned to the library from which they were borrowed. They may be returned to any public library. After hours, books may be returned in the library's bookdrop. Because audiovisual materials can be damaged when heavy books fall on top of them in the bookdrop, they should be returned to a circulation desk during the library's open hours.
- Subject Sections of the Main Library (downtown)
- Art, Music, and Recreation; Business, Science, and Technology; Edna Allyn Children's Room; Federal Documents; Hawaii and the Pacific; Language, Literature, and History; Serials; Social Science and Philosophy; Young Adult.
- Telephone Reference
- The Telephone Reference Unit of the Hawaii State Library can provide you with quick answers to questions which can be answered by using a dictionary, encyclopedia, etc.