Hawaii State Public Library System – McCully-Moiliili Library

Horrible!!! Absolutely horrible customer service!!! And it didn’t matter that I spoke to the librarian because she was just as horrible. I asked the librarian if the employees get hired for their outstanding personality??? Explained that I know the volume for a library, but c’mon…to scold a 7 year old as if you’re scolding a teenager!!! Oh hell no!!! And then go up to the counter and be greeted by a stone faced checker! When she was fine scanning my books, not one word! I stood there and kept staring at her. She asked if I needed something else, I told her «Oh, I’m sorry. are you done because you didn’t say anything! How was I supposed to know you were done scanning!»

Mixed feelings about my neighborhood library. I love their selection of books and DVD. They also have a large selection of Japanese materials. The staff is helpful and there is usually parking available. Bright, clean and quiet
My issue is the homeless encampment around the library. I dislike navigating grocery carts, the smell of urine, and unbathed people. I guess this is city life in Honolulu now.

The McCully library is conveniently located just off South King Street. The library is smaller and older than other libraries, but it’s quiet and clean. It’s also patrolled by a paranoid old lady who stares you down when you park on the street and as you walk to the library to drop off books.
The first floor is the children’s section with a wide selection for K-​6 and a booth to encourage summer reading and other programs. There is a small used book section near the entrance. Books range from $ 0.50-$ 2.00.
Upstairs contains books, CDs and DVDs for teens to adults. There are lots of desks and tables upstairs for reading and studying. Computer with WIFI is available with use restricted to 1 hour.
The library is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am-​5pm, except on Thursdays when it’s open later from 12pm-​7pm.
When you leave, you’ll be comforted in knowing that you and your legally street parked car have been watched over by the neighborhood watchdog in her Hawaiian-​print muumuu.

This location has a weird security guard who stares at me all the time.

I enjoy the ease and location of this library when visiting from the Big Island. Kona carries a minuscule amount of books in Japanese, and Hilo is a 4 hour roundtrip drive.
When visiting Honolulu, there are a lot of shops and restaurants I like nearby so this is a convenient branch to visit.
I love the fact you can go to any library in the state and not only rent, but you can also return at any library. What a great service. You can also go online and order any book/​CD/​DVD and have it shipped to your local branch for free! I like to actually browse the aisles though because you never know what will catch your eye.
Yes, this library does have a small kine homeless issue outside, but I haven’t seen them bother anyone, so it doesn’t bother me. Yes, the parking lot smells like shishi, but it doesn’t smell that way once you walk in.
I haven’t had any issues with parking, luckily I have gotten a spot each time I have come.
There are great deals to be had on the books for sale near the entrance, and there is a great magazine swap section as well. You can drop off or take any magazine in the boxes for free. Pretty cool.

I really like the Hawaii State Public Library system. Did you know that you can order a book, CD, or DVD from any other library in the state including neighbor islands and they will ship it to the nearest library for you for free! You can even place your request by via the Internet from your home and then be notified when it arrives by email.
My favorite thing to order is language CDs when I’m going to visit another country. Recently I ordered Thai language CDs which are coming from Mililani. About the McCully library, it’s okay. There is a decent amount of parking and many stalls are covered. The library itself is air conditioned and the staff is attentive and efficient.
FYI — A very minor thing is that your library card expires after five years and you need to go down in person to renew it. Not a bad service paid by your tax dollars.

I love libraries, I really do. But this library is constantly closing and locking its doors early, with all of the staff leaving before the closing time that is posted on the door. This is not how a place of business should operate.

Small library and kind of run down but an ok place to study. Downside is that there are no outlets for you to use if you want to work on your laptop and parking can be hard to come by. Staff is friendly and for the most part it always has the books I’m looking for.

My favorite library in town! The closest from anywhere in town. It’s my favorite place to study and do work because it provides free wifi if you have a library card account. When you need reference to any work or study (or fun) just walk around and you’ll find something you’ll like.
The bad thing is that they don’t provide electrical outlet and there are homeless around there. Parking are usually open and if not, just street park. Monday they’re closed

I am a big fan of the Hawaii State Public Library System. I came to this location for the first time because the branch I usually go to in Kaimuki is closed on Saturdays, and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s small, but it has a nice kids area on the entire first floor that ensures that it’s pretty calm upstairs where everything else is.
I like to bring my laptop to the library so that I can work and use the free WiFi, however, this location in particular doesn’t allow the use of any electrical outlets. I was in a spot in the back by myself, and I asked to unplug my laptop charger from an unused and secluded outlet; my cord wasn’t even blocking any walkways or anything! And there are a ton of outlets, so it wasn’t like I was monopolizing the electricity. This seems to be a problem confined to only this location — the other library locations I’ve been to have no such rule. I imagine it’s to limit the amount of time people spend in the library?
That being said, I greatly prefer the Kaimuki location.

I’m calling you out!
Yeah, you!
Anyone who does not give a library 5 stars is either a book snob, or a homeless guy who got the plug pulled on his internet use.
What’s not to love?
You borrow a book for FREE.
If you cannot finish it by the due date, you borrow it again for FREE.
When pau, the library takes it back so you don’t have to store it in your already cluttered room.
Sounds too simple. I understand why people are afraid of the homeless who seem to congregate here and the damaged books because some hobo probably used the book drop as a urinal.
All that aside. There was a time when I was poor and did not have access to media aside from libraries.
I read books, educated myself, got jobs and and then was able to afford my own books and computers.
This was the library that helped me most with that.
Protip: return your book during open hours to avoid your books being peed upon.

This library is really small and it kind of smells like urine. That being said, I was pleased to find that when I went in looking for a very specific study guide, they had it. It looks like they update their stacks frequently and their librarians are knowledgeable and seemed really happy to help. One more plus is that (as with all other libraries under the Hawaii state system) if a different library on the island has the book you need, they will have it delivered to your nearest library location so that you can pick it up.
I didn’t use the computers but they look limited and it looked like people were waiting around to use them.
Now, it may not be the best place to study. It is very small and the last time I was there, I was talked to by some old guy who apparently just sits in the corner waiting on his next victim on a regular basis. I tried to avoid him, but he sucked me in with his politeness and talked to me for almost an hour. Oh well. He is probably lonely.

Borrowed CD

This is my regular drop off Library. Books could be returned both S. King front side or the back side 24 hours. CDs and DVDs need to be returned inside (set gently in the return box) at office hours.
Closed: Sunday and Monday and some Tuesdays for some reason…
Thursday 1200 – 1900!
Unilocal 365 — ¹¹⁰⁄₃₆₅

Going to try separate my feelings for the Hawaii Library system in general vs. this branch.
This branch is OK, the building is run down, the books difficult to find, parking can be tight. But the books are free.
The Hawaii State Library system on the other hand, has some issues. See a review of the overlal system at:

This is my library of choice for picking up my reserve items. I used to go to Kaimuki Library, but lately I’ve never been able to find parking (which is a good thing because it means that people are patronizing the library). But at McCully, I can usually score a space and I like that most of the spaces are covered. The security guard at the front is ultra friendly — he always says hello. The staff at the check out aren’t the friendliest, but it doesn’t bother me too much since I’m there just to check out my books. The bathrooms are facilities are clean and well maintained overall. It’s not a big library, thus they don’t have a big selection of books, but with the library’s online catalog and reserve system, it doesn’t matter that the books aren’t physically in stock at this location, because I can request them to be sent here.

I used to go to this library– and I still do– for Korean books. They have a whole collection there! Only place in Hawaii.
Now, I think they need to call the police to make sure they clear out the homeless. I returned from college not too recently, and there are so much homeless! :S

Since I’m too broke to go out to eat, I have to Unilocal about free stuff. The library is an awesome concept. They’re so trusting– they let anybody walk out of there with all the books they want. For free! I have treasured my old school green library card since I was seven years old. I recently found out that it carries an expiration date and I will have to switch over to the ugly red and yellow one in 2015… so sad.
Anyway, as out-​of-​date and old and smelly as all our libraries are, they have one great redeeming feature: The Transfer. Have you ever gone into the library in hopes of finding a particular book, only to discover that they don’t have it? Of course you have, because no library ever has anything I’m looking for! Well, go check the online catalog (which you can do from home!) because chances are, that book is floating around the system somewhere. Even recently published books. All you have to do is put in a request and they will deliver it to any library location of your choosing! Pick it up within a week and you won’t get charged a dollar. Genius!
Personally I like racking up library fines, because let’s face it, the libraries need all the money they can get. They need help! Go take advantage of a wonderful free service.

They have a great big collection of Hawaiian music CDs. Internet on the second floor, but busy on the weekends. Take a number.
Their main collection is upstairs and the kiddy section is on the first floor.
They have a parking lot in back, but it can be a crowded one and people sit and wait for a space to park sometime.
It right at the cross street of S. King where the Chiang Mai Thai restaurant.
I go by there all the time, eat at that restaurant, but this building doesn’t get on my radar unless I’m concentrating to find it. Strange that a multistory library building can somehow be invisible.

I grew up with this library. It’s only a few blocks away from my childhood home and I spent a great many weekends (and after-​school afternoons) here. Fond fond memories.
So I might be biased. Looks-​wise, this library wins no awards. The librarians, however, are a mixed crew of both stern and friendly. I can’t blame them for being stern, though their former security guard was a pain in the arse to my middle-​school self. They have since hired new ones, though I don’t know how much of an improvement they are.
The kids’ section (bottom floor) is what wins this library awesome kudos. The adult section is pretty decent and they have a good variety of foreign-​language stuff. Their young adult section used to be very awesome in a niche at the back of the adult level (2^nd floor). They’ve moved it though and I don’t like it. I’m just not used to the way there’s no space for the teenagers/​younger «adult» readers.