Hawaii State Public Library System – Kailua Library

Nice Library!
Good selection of free magazines right by a door. Bring your old ones and take a few!
Good AC ! The computers are often full or a small wait.

It’s certainly the noisiest library I have ever been to. There was a group who was meeting at the tables in the back and no consideration for the rest of the library was made. It was very distracting!

This review is based ONLY off of the Bookstore located at the entrance of the Library & not the actual library itself !
I actually enjoy going here ! I went for the first time a few days ago and had a blast ! They sell all of their books for $.50, weather they are new or old books ! I found some really awesome stuff here.
I am a huge YA Novel lover, so I was shocked to find such a huge selection of k-​12 novels but more shocked at how many YA books they had in there !
Most books are books the library no longer wants and donations. ⁹⁄₁₀ books I bought were hardbacks with the clear library sleeve so when I took them off they literally looked brand new ! The insides were also in almost perfect condition. The other book was a paper back & it was in good condition as well.
The ladies who were working there didn’t really go out of their way to welcome me & chit chatted amongst themselves but that’s fine. I’m giving it 5 stars for the books not the service.
Below I listed the 10 books I bought for only $ 5.
— 20 boy summer by Ockler
— The almost truth by Eileen Cook
— So much closer by Susane Colasanti
— The indigo spell by Richelle Mead
— 4 books out of the Vampire Kisses series by Schreiber
— 2 books out of the Full moon series by Schreiber
I saved $ 161.90 from retail price for all of these books !
Paid $ 5 for $ 166.90 worth of books !

Although we live in town, my wife works in Kailua. So we often find ourselves on the Windward side of the island for various reasons. One of the places we often stop by is the Kailua library. This library has two awesome features:
1. Big, used book store. You could probably spend just as much time in here as you would in the library itself. Great selection of cheap books. And the money goes directly to the library.
2. Free magazines. Many people bring their old magazines here. Normally, I wouldn’t find this particularly thrilling, but as my wife teaches art, when her students are doing a collage project, we’ll come here to get fashion, sports, car and nature magazines. Besides, it’s a good option for your old magazines besides the recycle bin.
BIG NEGATIVE: the parking is terrible!!!

I just signed up for my first library card at the Kailua library so I could study for an upcoming test. I understand the library is very small, but they have the «Quiet Zone» right next to the reference desk where people are asking questions and checking out books. And where the kids are reading out loud and playing is just on the other side of that.
I recommend moving the «Quiet Zone» to the back of the library where it is a «little» more quiet so people can read without other distractions. Otherwise, go to a different library because this library is not quiet!

This small Kailua Library is a great community asset. SMALL being the key word. It’s a little library that was probably just right when it was built, but no one anticipated the way the community would grow around it. (and who could at that time?) Whenever I go there it’s crowded. There are lines for the computers, and not too much studying space. It’s not a quiet library, but that’s okay. It’s kid friendly. If you have a child you’ll appreciate the reading programs, and the displays which show art work and community projects. There’s also a nice outside lanai, but I’ve never had the pleasure of using it only because I really enjoy the air conditioning.
The parking lot is very small, and the nearby tennis players often park there though most are good about moving their cars when the library opens. And I’m sure a lot of library goers park in the adjacent parking lot for the courts. Parking is tight, but the nice thing is that there is a drive-​thru book drop off. It makes it convenient when there is no parking:
I recently signed up for the State wide ebook program which I thought would help me stay away from the library, but there is a long wait list for a lot of popular books. The max allowable days to borrow ebooks/​audio is 21 days. But sometimes there is only 1 book, and 55 people on the wait list. That’s a long time to wait… you do the math!
Still you can’t beat free!
31 Unilocal Challenge: #7/​31

Terrific FAMILY library. Wonderful kids section.
Pros: Wonderful Staff. Families are welcome. Kids love this library.
Cons: Parking is tight. I wish they had a better selection of NEW or Librarian recommended Kids books. This shelf is always empty when I am there. Also when the preschools are in session at the library its a little crazy, but it doesnt seem like it bothers anyone … and especially not me!

My son and I go to the library frequently to borrow and buy books. The book store is always run by friendly volunteers, and you can get books for very cheap. Most of the kids’ books I’ve bought there are $.10, and other books are usually $.50 to a dollar at the most. The library also offers a story hour for children on Wednesdays, and the reading is done by Uncle Wally Amos (Famous Amos Cookies guy).
The parking lot can be a zoo since the library is right next to the community park and a school… to avoid this I usually park right on the road and enter through the side entrance. There are no meters, so it’s free, and I avoid the maze and tight spaces inside the lot.
I wasn’t able to find a wi-​fi signal there, and that is the only reason why I didn’t give a full 5 stars.

My daughter (3) and I are frequent a different library every week for the past year or so. We tried Kailua library this week for storytime and NEVER AGAIN! Sad since this is our community library. Never have I felt so unwelcomed. If this was my first experience with a Hawaii Public Library I would never return to one again. Now the children’s librarian was wonderful, this review has nothing to do with her. The security guard is a mean mean man and never have I felt such dirty, hateful, nasty looks before, ever, talking about unwelcoming. He just sits there and gives mean stink eye, terrible. Talk about an unhappy, grumpy man. As we were leaving the library after storytime, my daughter being 3 and excited was telling me about our storytime adventure in a not loud, but not soft voice, normal tone, he hushed us so many times and glared that I thought he was going to hop out of his seat and punch my 3 year old daughter for making a peep. If he even ever gets out of the seat. Creepy and scarey! Children will be children, if you want no child’s voice in your library then don’t have a children’s storytime, bottom line! Then we proceed to borrow some books the gal at the counter was also unwelcoming, no greeting, no eye contact, grabbed my books, processed them and whispered so soft when our books were due that I couldn’t even hear her. I am a college graduate, I understand that you are supposed to be quiet in libraries, but come on, this place is ridiculous! Never again will I go to the Kailua library! And I will warn every mom I meet to avoid the place like the plaque too! Go to Kaneohe Library, they are much, much, much nicer there, even the main library in town, or kalihi library, anywere but Kailua Library and you will avoid the mean nasty rude security guard, who acts like he is guarding the president or something! Ughhhh! (I agree with the post about the funeral parlor feeling 100% dread going on in this place, maybe it needs to be blessed)

I never thought I would write a review on a library but Kailua Branch needs published.
I met some partners to do some work. I have not been here before. I entered the library and asked the security guard about a out door lanai. He rudely said he did not know of one and pointed to the back of the library and said people were sit back there. Well I wandered to the back of the library where he pointed and on the way looked to the right and outside was a lanai. I went out and and met the others already there. We had our meeting and at 745pm the guard slid open the door and rudely just looked at us. One of my friends asked is that the code that we got to go? He rudely said yes. We then immediately began packing our computers and papers and he then said hey I got to lock up. I forcefully stated Hey you can see we packing up and he stated I don’t want no guff off you. I was walking in the sliding door and he stated I need not give him problems and I said I not Sir I just saying you told us to move and we did right away and you still gave us a hard time. Then in our haste we had been eating a trail mix sports bar and a librarian stepped in and said no eating in the library all this while the guard was hurrying us out of the library. I want to note that my Verizon DROID phone said it was 7:48pm as we stood outside in the parking lot.
So recap. At 7:45pm the guard told us we had to go he was locking up. A librarian chewed us out for eating in the library and we found our selves out front the library in the parking lot and the time was 7:48pm. Mmmmmmmmmmm officially why were we hurried out so rudely we were well within the limits.
Basically this is why I stay out of Kaillua… and for sure I will stay away from the Kailua Library as I promised the guard and librarian as I walked out.

I have a love/​hate relationship with the Kailua Library. It’s tiny size, attached bookstore, undersized/​horribly designed parking lot, and the adjacent park/​school are a recipe for chaotic pedestrian and vehicular traffic thrown together and frustration at each visit. They refuse to set up a DVD/​media drop outside of the building at the drive-​through book drop area, forcing patrons to walk the items into the building (thereby compounding the congestion). When I don’t want to deal with the three-​ring circus parking lot, I just use a metered stall across the street.
That being said, there are many good things about this branch. The library staff are really friendly and helpful. It has a used bookstore that benefits the library in which you can choose from among hundreds (thousands?) of items most of which are priced at $ 1. It has an on-​site bathroom which is kept remarkably clean and supplied given its heavy use by non-​library patrons. There are always computers free for those who want to use the internet or library services. It offers many community services for adults and keiki, and more. I don’t let the tiny size of the branch limit my access to library materials in any way because you can transfer materials to the branch for pickup.
So, like many other things in Kailua, we make due with what we have and the congestion and everyone takes it in stride. Good job, Kailua librarians!

Compared to all other public services in Hawaii, the public libraries are a grand slam. I am a retired librarian, and completely understand the need for quiet. This is what the vast majority of library users want, if you don’t get this you should probably get your books elsewhere. If you are appropriate the security guard will not even look at you, I promise. Way to go Mr. Burns!!!

even though the parking lot is confusing, i love this library. i like going to the «bookstore.» that’s pretty much why i’m giving it 4 stars. i find the most awesome books when i go searching. and it’s all so cheap!!! there are always a lot of kids here, and i think that’s a good thing. it’s good to see kids so in love with reading. that’s how i was/​am.

This is the first library we went to when we arrived in Hawaii.
My son, who has little sense of personal space even at the age of 8, plunked down right next to some barefoot older kids who were splayed out all over the kids’ section on top of huge stuffed animals. They kind of looked at each other as if to say, «What’s up with this little kid?» but they did not tell him to scram and they all continued reading.
So: friendly place. I did not have problems with security guards the three or four times I went. But then again, I am very quiet in the library and force my kids to be quiet, so they probably wanted to give me a gold star.

This is really a small local library. It has that middle/​high school library feel to it. Since it’s part of the network of Hawaii libraries you can take advantage of their online system. They also have a nice outside patio that is always a bonus since you’re living in Hawaii.
Additionally, they have an awesome used bookstore here, where they expunge many of the books that they do not need. Most of the books are under a buck. You can also go inside the library and find old magazines that they just give away. It’s hours don’t parallel the library’s so call ahead to see if they’re open.
The parking area is odd since it’s basically in a tight horseshoe shape that dead ends at the library entrance. The parking entrance is also located in a slightly awkward area which is really a three way stoplight, but the parking entrance is part of the fourth «way.» Pay attention cause you could easily pass it.

This is a cute library next to a community area (tennis courts, pool) and is shoulder to shoulder with the police station. The building itself is not remarkable The inside offers plenty of natural lighting seats. They also have a used bookstore attached (fifty cent books!!) They have one man there that is an awful prick though…