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Reference Services

Telephone Reference Unit at the Hawaii State Library

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.
  • Oahu: 586-3621
  • Neighbor Islands: 1-800-390-3611
If the Unit does not have the reference sources to answer the question, staff will refer the caller to a subject section at the Hawaii State Library.

Walk-in Reference

Staff members may ask you a number of questions as part of the reference interview to make sure that they fully understand what you are looking for. Here are some suggestions to make the interview most productive:

  • Be specific: Ask for The Incident at Roswell rather than the books on UFOs. Ask for the books on cane toads rather than the animal books.

  • If staff members are unfamiliar with some of the terms you are using, be willing to define them or use alternate terms. Show them some of the documents or materials which you have already located and provide the context of your search request.

  • Tell the staff member where you have already checked: PAC, an online magazine database, the circulating automotive manual collection, etc.
  • If the material is not available there, the staff will help you find out where copies are located via PAC and will place an online hold for you so that the material will be sent to your local library for pickup.

  • If you need the material immediately, the staff will assist you by having circulating material held under your name at another library. Do not go to another library without phoning first. The "on shelf" status doesn't necessarily mean that the item is on the shelf -- it actually means that the item is not on loan, not being held for anyone, not in transit, not overdue, etc. The item may be in use in the library, it may not yet be re-shelved, or sadly it may be missing.

  • If you would like to suggest that the library system purchase a new book or other kinds of library material, contact a staff member and ask for a new book request form. Please provide as much information as possible such as title, author, and how you learned about the item -- saw it in the bookstore, author was on a talk show, read about it in the latest issue of Time, etc.

Electronic Reference

You may also use our "Ask A Librarian" E-Reference service to get answers to your questions via e-mail. Go to our Ask-A-Librarian form and submit your question. A librarian will respond within two business days. This service is designed for quick answers to simple questions. If you require more extensive research assistance, please contact your local library.

...See also E-Reference