The Library Suggestion Books cover the experience of patrons of Hamilton and Sinclair libraries of the University of Hawaii at Manoa during the period of 1970 through 1984. At the time these books were created, they gave patrons the opportunity to anonymously comment and ask questions of reference librarians, who later responded to patron inquiries and comments in writing in those same books. Books are formatted as suggestion and reply with the words “suggestion” and “reply” stamped on the notebook pages. Hamilton books are formatted with several suggestions listed on the left-hand pages and their replies listed on the right-hand pages. Sinclair books are formatted with one suggestion and its reply on the same page, whether that is on the left or the right.

The Library Suggestion Books contain comments, suggestions, questions, and even poetry from patrons. Many comments are of a serious nature while others are lewd and obnoxious. The strength of the collection is in the documented patron-librarian interaction. The Library Suggestion Books provide a firsthand look at university library reference transactions from a historical viewpoint. The materials are in their original state, thereby providing added ephemeral value and authenticity for research purposes.

The information contained in the complete set of suggestion books is not duplicated elsewhere and provides a high level of informational value to researchers of various disciplines. For instance, Library Information Science students can study the history of reference transactions and how the profession has changed over the past 30-40 years. The communication contained in these books is also valuable to the fields of communications, psychology, and sociology, to name a few.