Montgomery County Public Libraries

Last updated
Montgomery County Public Libraries
Location Montgomery County, Maryland, U.S.
EstablishedMay 31, 1950;74 years ago (1950-05-31)
Branches21 [1]
Collection
Size1,904,442 concrete objects
Access and use
Population served1,044,292 [2]
Other information
BudgetUS$52,847,301 [3]
DirectorAngelisa Hawes (acting) [4]
Website montgomerycountymd.gov/library

The Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) is the public library system for residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. The system includes 20 publicly accessible branches as well as a branch in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

Contents

History

Library service in Montgomery County started in 1869 when a group of Rockville and other area residents assembled in the County Courthouse to plan a joint stock library. Other independent libraries were formed in Montgomery County in the following years. For example, in 1893 a group of private citizens in Kensington established the Noyes Library. From 1893 until 1950, independent public or subscriber funded libraries provided limited services to residents of southern Montgomery County. Nine independent library associations operated facilities located in Bethesda, Four Corners, Gaithersburg, Garrett Park, Kensington, Rockville, Sherwood, Silver Spring, and Wheaton. [5]

In 1945 the Maryland Legislature passed the State Library Law which provided matching state funds for County library systems, based on a County's population. [5] On May 31, 1950, the Montgomery County Council passed the County Library Law of 1950, which created a Department of Public Libraries administered by a professional librarian and advised by a Library Board. George B. Moreland was hired as the first Director of the Library System. The Library Board was appointed by the County Council and assumed its duties in February 1951. [6]

By July 1, 1951, when the Department officially began its operations, seven of the nine independent Montgomery County libraries agreed to hand over administrative control to the new system in exchange for improved library service. [6] Remaining independent meant that a library would have to operate from individual subscriptions, donations and fundraising, whereas joining the county system meant that it would receive county funds. [7] The Library System began operation with properties and administrative control of seven formerly independent libraries, including Four Corners, Gaithersburg, Garrett Park, Noyes, Sherwood, Silver Spring, and Wheaton. The Bethesda Library Association transferred its facility and collections to the County on July 1, 1952, but the Rockville Library Association did not follow suit until July 1, 1957. [5]

Today Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) consists of 21 branches. MCPL also provides services at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

Governance

MCPL is a Montgomery County government agency. The current Acting Director of Public Libraries is Angelisa Hawes. [8]

The Public Libraries' operating budget is included in the County budget process. The approved operating budget for fiscal year 2025 (July 2024–June 2025) is US$52,847,301. This includes money for physical and electronic collections and databases, staff, and programs. Public Libraries employees are County employees. For Fiscal Year 2025, the approved budget included 247 full-time and 181 part-time positions. [3] Non-supervisory staff are represented by UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO.

In 2016, the MCPL released a strategic plan for Fiscal Years 2017-2020, [9] which includes four core aspects:

The Public Libraries has a Library Board made up of twelve members appointed by the County Executive and one representing the School Board. The Board makes recommendations to the County Executive on library-related issues, including facilities, collection, service areas, and personnel. The Library Board has twenty-three Library Advisory Committees, subcommittees representing individual branches or programs. Members of the LACs are approved by the Board. [11]

Branches

Gaithersburg Library Gaithersburg Library.jpg
Gaithersburg Library
Rockville Memorial Library Rockville Memorial Library 2018.jpg
Rockville Memorial Library
Noyes Library for Young Children, Kensington Noyes Library for Young Children, Kensington, Maryland LCCN2012630015.tif
Noyes Library for Young Children, Kensington

The following MCPL branches are public: [1]

MCPL operates a Capital Improvement Program that calls for branches to be updated on an accelerated timetable through refresh projects. Two to three libraries per year are closed for several months to complete these projects. The Refresh program allows for technological and other updates on an accelerated timetable from the previous 25 year renovation cycle. [12] The refresh program was recognized with the 2016 Top Innovator Award from the Urban Libraries Council. [13]

In addition to publicly accessible branches, MCPL operates a branch at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. [1]

Services

MCPL has physical and electronic book checkouts, magazines and e-magazines, audiobooks in various formats, and access to movie and television shows. Internet computer access and Wi-Fi connection are also present. [14] Some branches have specialized graphic design software, [15] and the libraries allow for printing and copying. [16] MCPL also offers online information through its Ask a Librarian and What Do I Check Out Next sites.

In addition, MCPL offers community programs, covering topics such as storytimes and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) skills programs for children; coding, writing, and financial literacy programs for teens; book discussion groups and job searching programs for adults; and health, art and financial planning programs for seniors. [17]

MCPL also offers an Outreach Team that visits community events to share information about services and performs library card signups. [18]

Privileges

The library system at MCPL is part of the Maryland Consolidated Library System, which states that any person who is a resident of the State of Maryland may obtain a library card at no charge at any county library or Baltimore City. Non-residents who work for an employer in Maryland or pay property taxes there are also included. Through this rule, it is possible to apply for a card from any library system in the state, or choose to authorize a card from any other library system in the state on that system.

Anyone who lives, works, pays property taxes, or goes to school in Maryland, or who lives in the District of Columbia, or in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax, Loudoun, or Prince William Counties in Northern Virginia ca., regardless of age, can get an MCPL card. The MCPL card allows holders to access the services of a MCPL branch. A digital equivalent can be used to access eBooks and some databases and other eResources.

Proof of address and a photo ID is necessary to apply for a MCPL card. For full library privileges, including checking out and placing holds on physical materials, it is necessary to register in-person. Nonresidents can receive a MCPL Nonresident card, which has a fee of $10.00 a year and is non-refundable. [19]

Nearby public library systems

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery County, Maryland</span> County in Maryland, United States

Montgomery County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat is Rockville, and Germantown is the most populous place in the county. The county is adjoined to Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, and is part of the Washington metropolitan area and the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. Most of the county's residents live in Silver Spring, Bethesda, Germantown, and the incorporated cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockville, Maryland</span> City in Maryland, United States

Rockville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, and is part of the Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fourth-largest incorporated city in Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Spring, Maryland</span> Census-designated place in Maryland, United States

Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, it is an edge city with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-most-populous place in Maryland after Baltimore, Columbia, Germantown, and Waldorf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington, Maryland</span> Town in Maryland, United States

Kensington is a U.S. town in Montgomery County, Maryland. The population was 2,122 at the 2020 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 ZIP code, with a population of 19,753 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheaton, Maryland</span> Census-designated place in Maryland, United States

Wheaton is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, situated north of Washington, D.C., and northwest of downtown Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton (1833–1903), a career officer in the United States Army and volunteer from Rhode Island in the Union Army who rose to the rank of major-general while serving before, during and after the Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darnestown, Maryland</span> Census-designated place in the United States

Darnestown is a United States census-designated place (CDP) and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. The CDP is 17.70 square miles (45.8 km2) with the Potomac River as its southern border and the Muddy Branch as much of its eastern border. Seneca Creek borders portions of its north and west sides. The Travilah, North Potomac, and Germantown census-designated places are adjacent to it, as is the city of Gaithersburg. Land area for the CDP is 16.39 square miles (42.4 km2). As of the 2020 census, the Darnestown CDP had a population of 6,723, while the village of Darnestown is considerably smaller in size and population. Downtown Washington, D.C. is about 22 miles (35 km) to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Bethesda, Maryland</span> Census-designated place in Maryland, United States

North Bethesda is an unincorporated, census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, located just north-west of the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C. It had a population of 50,094 as of the 2020 census. Among its neighborhoods, the centrally-located, urbanizing district of White Flint is the commercial and residential hub of North Bethesda. The Pike & Rose development and the Pike District is an initiative of Montgomery County to brand and market this region as "North Bethesda's Urban Core". The WMATA North Bethesda metro station and Grosvenor-Strathmore metro station serve the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Potomac, Maryland</span> Census-designated place named North Potomac in Maryland, United States

North Potomac is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is located less than 5 miles (8.0 km) north of the Potomac River, and is about 20 miles (32 km) from Washington, D.C. It has a population of 23,790 as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travilah, Maryland</span> Census-designated place in Maryland

Travilah is a United States census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is 17.28 square miles (44.8 km2) located along the north side of the Potomac River, and surrounded by the communities of Potomac, North Potomac, and Darnestown—all census-designated places. It had a population of 11,985 as of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas S. Wootton High School</span> Public secondary school in Rockville, Montgomery, Maryland, United States

Thomas S. Wootton High School or Wootton High School(WHS) is a public high school in Rockville, Maryland. Its namesake is Thomas S. Wootton, the founder of Montgomery County. The school was founded in 1970 and is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system.

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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is a public school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland. With 210 schools, it is the largest school district in the state of Maryland. For the 2022–23 school year, the district had about 160,554 students taught by about 13,994 teachers, 86.4 percent of whom had a master's degree or equivalent. MCPS receives nearly half of the county's budget—47% in 2023.

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Interstate 270 (I-270) is a 34.7-mile (55.8 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Maryland that travels from I-495 just north of Bethesda in Montgomery County north to I-70 in the city of Frederick in Frederick County. It consists of the 32.6-mile (52.5 km) mainline as well as a 2.1-mile (3.4 km) spur that provides access to and from southbound I-495. I-270 is known as the Washington National Pike, and makes up the easternmost stretch of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Most of the southern part of the route in Montgomery County passes through suburban areas around Rockville and Gaithersburg that are home to many biotech firms. This portion of I-270 is up to 12 lanes wide and consists of a local–express lane configuration as well as high-occupancy vehicle lanes that are in operation during peak travel times. North of the Gaithersburg area, the road continues through the northern part of Montgomery County, passing Germantown and Clarksburg as a six- to eight-lane highway with an HOV lane in the northbound direction only. North of here, I-270 continues through rural areas into Frederick County and toward the city of Frederick as a four-lane freeway.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Branches and Hours". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  2. ↑ "Montgomery County Demographic Data". Montgomery College. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Public Libraries" (PDF). Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  4. ↑ https://montgomerycountymd.gov/library/about/leadership.html [ bare URL ]
  5. 1 2 3 "Guide to the Records of the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES 1908, 1931-1989" (PDF). Montgomery County Historical Society. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Guide to the Records of the MONTGOMERY COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD 1949-1994" (PDF). Montgomery County Historical Society. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "The Library's Long History". The Noyes Children's Library Foundation. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  8. ↑ "Library Leadership". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Strategic Plan". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  10. ↑ https://montgomerycountymd.gov/library/resources/files/about/strategicplan-fy23-fy26.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  11. ↑ "Library Board". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  12. ↑ "Refresh Projects". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  13. ↑ "Newsletter". Urban Libraries Council. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  14. ↑ "Using MCPL's Public Computers". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "Studio i: Digital Media Labs". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  16. ↑ "Help with MCPL's Public Computers". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  17. ↑ "Calendar of Events". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  18. ↑ "Request for Visit from Outreach Staff Member". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  19. ↑ "About Library Cards". Montgomery County Public Libraries. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
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