Welcome to the Howard County Library Website

Sign up for your Library Card and Fall in Love with your Library

September Greetings from the Howard County Library!  September is “Library Card Sign-up Month.”  If you do not have a library card, now is the perfect time to come in and register for one.  We would love to get you signed up. Come in and learn about all we have to offer!    Fall may finally be arriving and I'm sure we are all ready! The cooler weather brings to mind slower days and quiet evenings, so what better time to curl up with a cup of something hot  and a good book!  The library can definitely help you find that book as we have lots of new arrivals, by new authors and old favorites both!

Looking for reading suggestions, come to Readers!

If you are looking for suggestions on what to read, you should attend “Readers.” our adult book club, which meets the first Thursday of every month at 5:00 pm in the library. For an hour we share thoughts about what books we’ve read and what we liked or didn’t!  No “set” book is discussed and we always leave with a list of books we want to read!

we have fun times planned for our young Patrons 

Our youngest readers aren’t forgotten, as we hold “Toddler Time” every Thursday morning at 10:00 am.  Bring your little ones in for a fun hour of stories, games puzzles and sometimes crafts! We also have a downstairs children’s playroom which is always open!

fill in your family tree with our Genealogy Experts

As always, a member of our  genealogy department will be here on Fridays from 1-3 to answer questions you might have regarding Howard County genealogy and related issues.

Keep Watching for Special Holiday Events

Several holidays occur in the fall and we will be celebrating them with special days and holiday crafts. Be sure to check out our website, facebook or the newspaper to see what’s happening! Have a great September and we will see you at the library!

Library receives grant

Howard County Public Library has been awarded a $10,000 gift from the Andrew Carnegie organization in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  The Howard County Library staff say the funds will be used to expand programs and create new opportunities for residents across the community. The grant honors the legacy of Scottish immigrant and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who funded the construction of 1,681 free public libraries in the United States between 1886 and 1917. Today, approximately 1,280 of those libraries remain in operation, with about 750 still serving their communities from their original buildings. Carnegie famously described libraries as “cradles of democracy” that “strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen.” His belief that free public libraries provide opportunity and access to knowledge for all continues to shape communities more than a century later The $10,000 gift will directly support expanded programming, and educational workshops designed to increase access to learning resources for residents of all ages. “This generous gift allows us to build on Carnegie’s vision by ensuring our library remains a place where everyone has access to information, enrichment, and opportunity,” The award not only commemorates a historic milestone in the nation’s history but also reinforces the enduring role of public libraries as vital centers of education, civic engagement, and community connection.

Renew your shelf at the library Booksale!

If you are the type of reader who likes to keep the books you have read and you like a bargain, visit our book sale room which is located downstairs and items are four for a dollar.  We have a wide variety of books of all genres and for all ages!

Do you want to support the library? Join Friends of the Library

  Some of you have indicated that you would like to do more to support our library. A great way to do that is to join “Friends of the Library!”  This is an organization open to anyone who is interested in the ongoing success of the library. An individual membership to join friends is $10 annually, while a family membership is $20. We also offer lifetime memberships for $200.  The purpose of Friends is to provide annual funding for the library collection, underwrite programs, such as The Summer Reading Program, Special Holiday events  and visiting author programs and to support the purchase of various items that cannot be fulfilled from the library’s operational budget.  We would love to have new members!