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Library Services
Your community library is about a lot more than just books. You can get access to computers, listen to stories, get a dog license, or take advantage of a multitude of other ways in which your library can help |
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Assistive Technology
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Assistive or adaptive technology equipment is available on a first-come first-served basis at Catonsville, North Point, Pikesville, Randallstown and Towson branches. Ask at the Information Desk to use the equipment which includes:
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Optelec, a text/image enlargement system
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JAWS (Job Access With Speech) that speaks and reads word processed documents, websites, databases, email messages, etc.
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ZoomText to enlarge text
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OPENBook scans a printed documents or graphic based text into an electronic text format using accurate optical character recognition and quality speech
The meeting rooms at the Catonsville, North Point, Randallstown, Towson and White Marsh Branches are equipped with Phonic Ear VocaLight, an infrared transmitter-receiver sound field amplification system.
Each library has a magnifying glass at the Information Desk for customer use.
You can speak directly to a librarian at any of our libraries or with the Administrative Offices using your TTY or computer modem. Our TTY number is 410-821-5705 or contact us through Maryland Relay. The librarians use a computer telephone service called TICAL, which stands for TTY Information and Communication Access for Libraries.
InfoEyes is a question and answer service for people with a visual impairment or other print limitation. Librarians from the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and Maryland AskUsNow and across the country provide the service. You can use it from the library or from home, school or work. You can schedule an appointment to talk live with a librarian on the Internet or you can email a question to a librarian. Service is available during normal business hours, Monday through Saturday, except holidays.
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Book Ahead (Placing Holds on Items That Are On Order)
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Is the book, talking book, or other material you want still "on order" and not yet received at your library? Do you want to be among the first to receive new materials? Then our Book Ahead service is the answer. You may place a hold on “On Order” titles that appear in the BCPL catalog for $1.00 each. You will be notified by email or automated phone call when they arrive at your branch. The items will be held for you for seven days. There is an additional fee of $1.00 on each item if you do not pick up the items within the seven day period following notification.
You may place a Book Ahead hold yourself through our online catalog or by calling or visiting your local branch and asking for assistance. You will need to have your library card number to use the online system. A few items cannot be Booked Ahead, including magazines and comic books.
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Direct Loan or Interlibrary Loan
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If Baltimore County Public Library does not own what you are looking for, Direct Loan is a way for you to have material sent from a participating Central Maryland public library system to the Baltimore County Public Library branch of your choice. Interlibrary Loan expands your possibilities by having materials sent from beyond Central Maryland library systems.
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Fax / Photocopying / Printing
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Faxing:
NOTE: There are currently no faxing services available at the new Arbutus Branch. This notice will be removed when fax services have been restored. There are four library branches which provide for-pay outbound public fax stations: Arbutus, Lansdowne, North Point, and Towson. These stations allow customers to fax domestically and internationally and to charge per page costs to Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover credit, debit, or check cards.
In the course of providing library reference services: the library can opt to domestically fax a limit of up to four pages to a home or business with no charge. If you need a longer document, please visit the library. There is no charge for information faxed between libraries (including non-Baltimore County Public Libraries) for a customer.
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Photocopying:
Black and white copies on standard paper can be made at any of the library's branches using our public photocopiers for $.15 per page. Color photocopiers are not available.
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Printing
Black and white and color printers are available for customer use from the libraries public computers as well as via our wireless network. Printouts are $.15 per page for black and white pages and $.30 per page for color copies.
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Government Applications and Forms
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Many of the following forms should be available at every branch of the Baltimore County Public Library as well as online at the following links. Ask at the Information Desk to see about form availability.
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Language Line Service
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Baltimore County Public Library staff has access to over the phone interpreters or translators in over 140 languages to help any customer who may not be fluent in English. Please call or visit any of our branches.
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Licenses and Permits
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This service is offered by Baltimore County Department of Permits and Development Management and Baltimore County Public Library. You can apply for several Baltimore County permits and licenses at all library branches. The licenses and permits available are the annual animal license or renewal, electrical post card permit issued to licensed electricians and residents which allow work and generate inspections, and plumbing post card permit used by licensed plumbers to allow work and generate inspections. A convenience fee of $2.00 is charged for each license and permit. Annual cat and dog license applications are available online and at Baltimore County Public Library branches except Loch Raven. Fill out the application form, show the animal's current rabies inoculation certificate, and pay the appropriate charge for the license plus the $2.00 convenience fee per license.
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Meeting Room Reservations
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Hold a meeting for your organization in one of our meeting rooms. Meeting rooms at branch libraries can be reserved by non-profits, community interest groups, for-profit businesses or organizations. Please see our Meeting Room Policy [PDF] for fees and details. Meeting rooms are not available at Hereford or Parkville branches. All fees must be paid in advance before the meeting room reservation is confirmed.
All meeting rooms, except the Loch Raven Library, are accessible to people with disabilities. The meeting rooms at the Catonsville, North Point, Randallstown, Towson and White Marsh Libraries are equipped with Phonic Ear VocaLight, an infrared transmitter receiver sound field amplification system.
Call the Interlibrary Loan Department at 410-887-6109, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. to request the use of a library meeting room. Please read our Meeting Room Policy [PDF]. A signed copy must be on file with the Interlibrary Loan Department prior to using the meeting room.
Registered Baltimore County home school organizations or individuals may book a meeting room for one three-hour period once a month at no charge . Meeting room reservations must be arranged through the Interlibrary Loan Department. Baltimore County Public School verification is needed.
The branches' Library Managers or the librarian in charge may approve the no charge use of their meeting room on a drop-in basis, for one on one tutoring. Tutors must be from a recognized non-profit organization that serves the state or metropolitan area. The tutoring session must be one on one, one tutor and one student, not a group of students. Approval is for immediate use not future dates.
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Mobile Library Services
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Baltimore County Public Library's Mobile Library Services operates four vehicles to serve the citizens of Baltimore County. All four vehicles are accessible to people with disabilities and have a wheelchair lift.
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Library on the Go Senior makes neighborhood stops for convenient use of library services, and has computers with internet access.
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Library on the Go Junior visits senior centers and retirement homes.
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Read Rover and Read Rover Plus offer library services to licensed day care centers and home providers, and community sites geared to people with disabilities in Baltimore County. Children enjoy a story time with both stories and an activity; teachers or providers may select material to keep in their centers until the next visit.
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Notification
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Several methods are available for customers to get notification about requested holds (also known as reserves), overdue items, lost materials, and fines owed. Depending upon the circumstances and what customers choose, notification methods may include email, automated phone service, and US mail.
Email Notification
Customers can sign up online to receive email notification. They can also sign up for email notification service when they get a library card for the first time, or by adding their e-mail address to their library account at the Circulation or Borrower Services Desk or the Information Desk at any Baltimore County Public Library branch.
To ensure that you get your BCPL emails, add these addresses to your email address book:
monitor@bcpl.net notifyme@bcpl.net notice@bcpl.net
Customers can also sign up for this service when they get a library card for the first time, or by adding their e-mail address to their library account at the Circulation or Borrower Services Desk or the Information Desk at any Baltimore County Public Library branch. Customers will not receive any unsolicited notices without giving permission on their registration form. Please notify the Circulation or Borrower Services Desk at any Baltimore County Public Library branch if your email or phone number changes. This is the only way the customer will benefit from this fast and reliable notification system.
The status of your library account, including items you have placed on hold, is available by calling the Shelf Help Line at 410-494-9063. You can also check the status of your holds and library account online.
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Programs & Story Times
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Baltimore County Public Library does not require tickets or registration for most programs. Instead, just come to the library program of your choice and take a seat. The seating is first-come, first served up to legal capacity of the room. Because of space limitations in meeting rooms, to be sure of seating, it is important to plan an early arrival time. Doors open 10 minutes before the start of the program.
For some programs where a small group is desirable, such as Baby Boosters Story Time for children ages 0 to 23 months and hands-on technology programs, registration is necessary. These programs are noted in the Calendar of Events listing as "registration required". To register visit or phone the library branch having the program during the week preceding the program.
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Study & Quiet Rooms
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BCPL libraries are busy public spaces and people use libraries for many different reasons. We value all our customers and attempt to make the library a comfortable and welcoming place but the hushed library of the past is no longer the norm or even possible in our busy facilities. Our rules of conduct state that customers should be considerate of the rights of others as they use our libraries and we expect customers to: speak in conversational tones when using the library, to use cell phones in designated areas, and to set cell phones to vibrate.
Within the limitations of each branch's physical space, quieter study environments have been created or designated.
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Private group study rooms are available at the Cockeysville, Perry Hall, Rosedale, and Woodlawn branches. These rooms are for two or more people who need to work on a project or have a meeting. Advanced reservations for these rooms are not accepted and they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Use of the groups study room is limited to 2 hours unless no one else is waiting.
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Quiet study areas (which frequently also include the magazine collections) have been designed and enclosed at the Catonsville, Cockeysville, Perry Hall, Reisterstown, Rosedale, White Marsh, and Woodlawn libraries.The North Point, Randallstown, and Towson libraries have designated quiet zones that are not enclosed.
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Tax Forms
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Baltimore County Public Library participates in both the Federal and State tax form programs. A limited assortment of basic forms is available for pick-up during the tax season. Branches provide reproducible sets of both Maryland and Federal forms. Visit our web page for online access to tax forms and information.
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Edited: MWS
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