The Library serves the Legislature and the legislative service agencies by providing essential information resources and information services which support the legislative process.

Reference and Research Support

Our research librarians provide reference and research assistance in the Library or by telephone. Questions cover a wide range of subjects, but typically involve state policy issues, complex legislative history, or federal laws and regulations. A workstation linked to the Internet, our online catalog, CARD, and to other libraries and databases is located in the reference area. We will assist staff in using them for research.

Accessing electronic information services and databases, such as Westlaw, the Library can obtain state and federal bills, statutes and rules, as well as current articles and reports specific to a legislator's research needs. The Library staff combines forty years' experience in online database searching. A search request form is available for download as a pdf and may be faxed in return to preserve confidentiality.

CARD, Online Catalog

www.hawaii.gov/lrb/card/

The Library's online catalog is a union catalog combining the holdings of the LRB Library, the Supreme Court Law Library, DBEDT Library, and the City's Municipal Library. The catalog includes links to electronic documents. Call for training.

The Print Collection

Legislative studies and executive agency reports from Hawaii and across the country comprise the major part of the Library's print collection. These publications provide background on laws and programs of interest to policy makers. The collection also includes Hawaii statutes, journals, court cases and county codes; statutes from twelve other states; federal statutes and U.S. Supreme Court cases. A comprehensive reference section and 300 periodicals and newspapers provide information on topics from law and public policy to business and current affairs. An archive of all drafts and committee reports of bills and resolutions introduced in the past ten years assures timely access to these measures for research and drafting purposes.

Clipping File

Because the local papers are important sources of both current and historical information, a newspaper clipping file that dates back twenty-five years. A copy of the Index to the Clipping File is available online as a pdf.

Publications

www.hawaii.gov/lrb/reports/libdocs.html

Directory of State, County and Federal Officials

www.hawaii.gov/lrb/capitoli/dirguide/

Contains the names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses of government officials. Also published on the Library's web site, the Directory links to agencies and officials with pages on the World Wide Web. Annual.

Guide to Government in Hawaii. The Guide

www.hawaii.gov/lrb/capitoli/dirguide/

Discusses state and county departments and their organization and the agencies of the federal government with offices in Hawaii. It cites the statutory authority for each state office and includes organization charts and an index. Frequency varies. Last published: 2002.

Selected Recent Acquisitions

An annotated list of noteworthy studies, books and reports newly acquired by the Library, listed by subject. Monthly. Available on the Bureau's web site as pdf and an RSS channel.

Selected New Articles

An annotated list of new articles selected from periodicals available in the Library, listed by subject. Monthly. Available on the Bureau's web site as pdf and an RSS channel.

Reports to the Legislature

www.hawaii.gov/lrb/capitoli/rptslegis.html

A listing of recent reports submitted to the Library which are requested and required by the Legislature. Frequency varies. Available on the Bureau's web site as pdf and an RSS channel.

iClips

http://lrbhawaii.info/iclips

A clipping service of news on the Internet. iClips provides links to articles of interest for legislative research selected from local, national and world online news. Updated daily, weekday e-alerts provided.

First Reading

1streading.blogspot.com

A newsletter published in blog format. Postings by Library staff sharing announcements, recent titles, newly discovered Internet resources, search strategies, tech tips, and more. Available also as an RSS channel.

LRB Web Site

www.hawaii.gov/lrb/

The Bureau on the World Wide Web. The Library maintains the Bureau's Web Site, designed to assist legislative research by providing links to other important web sites which have been evaluated and annotated by the Library staff. The site also electronically distributes Bureau studies and reports.