BCPL Special Collections page.
Skip Navigation
Graphics Version
The navigation path to this page is: Home >
About Us > Special Collections.
Books on CD and
Tape
"Talking books" provide an alternative format for both fiction and non-fiction
titles. Talking books include both unabridged and abridged titles. These
"talking books" may be held / reserved
or renewed.
They may not be Direct
Loaned or sent through Interlibrary Loan to other library systems.
Braille Books for Children
A small collection of Braille board and picture books suitable for children from birth to five
years and a few titles for the 6 to 8 years old child are available at the
Towson branch.
Text is in both Braille and English which helps the sighted child learning to
read assisted by a parent who is blind or for a child who is blind learning
Braille. To find Braille books in the BCPL catalog, type "Braille Books" in the
catalog search box.
Downloadable Audio Books, eBooks and Videos
To download an audio book, ebook or video you must have
a valid
library card registered at Baltimore County Public Library or at a
participating Maryland library. Information about downloading materials
available from BCPL can be found in the
Audio Books, eBooks and Downloadable Videos section of the
Books and More
page.
DVDs
Check out current releases of for both adults and children's titles available on
DVD. Please see
DVD policies and fees
for more information about this collection.
Engravers
BCPL has engravers available for checking out. Use these to engrave your
belongings such as bikes.
eReference Books
Electronic Reference Books or
eReference Books are similar to databases in that
the content can be searched online and printed. These books do not have to be
checked out or downloaded, and are always available for use either in the
library or from home. Topics covered in these electronic books include World
Religions, Law, Nations, Clothing and Fashion, Multicultural America,
Literature, and more. You can access eReference Books online at any branch or
from home with a valid library card.
Some BCPL branches have books and DVDs in foreign languages. Many have books, CDs and tapes to learn help you learn foreign languages.
Large Type Books
All branches have a wide variety of both fiction
and non-fiction large type books.
Legacy Web Historic Photographs
Browse our fascinating collection of local historic photographs on the
Web. The collection contains almost 18,000 images! All
aspects of life in Baltimore County for the last 130 years are contained in
Legacy Web, Baltimore County Public Library's photo archive. Included are most
aspects of rural living, including photographs of people, buildings, sites,
and events in the Baltimore County area. Search or browse this growing archive of annotated, digitized
photographs of Baltimore County as well as
Baltimore magazine from 1917 to 1928. You can even
buy copies
of most of the photos.
Local History Room Collections
Arbutus,
Catonsville,
Reisterstown and
Towson branches
have historical materials about the local
communities they serve. The local community history information consists of
rare and out-of-print books, newspaper clippings, and historical prints of
local sites. These materials are non-circulating and in some cases are
accessible by appointment only. Please call the library to determine whether
you need an appointment to view their historical collection.
Maryland Collection
Whether
planning an excursion, delving into history, locating government information, answering
school assignment questions, or just browsing for photographs, sports, and more,
this collection includes abroad spectrum of material. All libraries have a
wide variety of materials about Maryland and Baltimore County.
Microfilm
Towson and Catonsville branches have microfilm readers and
microfilm of older
and current newspapers and magazines. See the index of Microfilm for a
listing of the names of newspapers and magazines available.
Music CDs
BCPL carries a wide variety of music on CD. These CDs can be checked out
for 21 days, can be renewed, and placed on hold.
Newspapers and Magazines
All libraries have current subscriptions to a few newspapers and a wide
variety of magazines in print. To find out if a specific title is owned
please visit or call
your local library.
Research Databases
BCPL provides you access at no charge to a variety of
online databases, including
magazines, journals, newspapers, automotive and engine repair, biographies, test
and exam practice tests, health, business, community, encyclopedias and more. Databases are very useful for research and school
assignments. Databases are available at
Baltimore County Public Library branches and most are
available from home, work or school through the Baltimore County Public
Library home page. All you need is a
library card.
Sign Language Videos
The Robert Joseph Wortman American Sign Language Video Collection of
more than 200 adult and children's videos is housed at the
North Point
Library. This collection covers many issues of interest to the deaf
community, including teaching or learning Sign Language as well as
information for the hearing parents of a deaf child. The videos from this
special collection can be checked out, placed on hold, and
renewed. Sign Language Videos can be borrowed for 21 days, are
eligible for one time renewal and can be placed on hold.
Video Games
A collection of
video games for children and adults is available for check out at all branches.
They may be borrowed for seven days.
Video Game Ratings: the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) provides rating symbols. Baltimore County Public Library purchases video games that are rated EC (Early Childhood - may be suitable for ages three and older) through T (Teen - may be suitable for ages thirteen and older).
Please see Video Game policies and fees for more information about this collection.
Zines
Zines,
pronounced "zeen", like "bean", are self-published magazines usually
written by one person or a few individuals. Zines can be informative,
obsessive, hilarious, sad, rude, inspirational, hand-scrawled, or neatly
typed. They can be on any topic often representing points of view missed
by mainstream media or publishing houses. Our collection of over
300 zines covers a wide range of topics with an emphasis on local zine
authors. It is currently located only at the
Cockeysville
Library. If your not near the Cockeysville branch, you can get any
Zine title sent to the branch of your choice at no charge. You can do this
by using the online "Place Hold" option in either of the BCPL catalogs,
calling any branch and asking a librarian to place a hold for you, or
visit any branch and ask at the Information Desk. Zines may be sent
through Direct Loan or Interlibrary Loan.
This page is provided by the Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Maryland USA.
The text version of this page was last revised on
26 August 2008.
The graphics version of this page was last revised on
26 August 2008.
You are welcome to provide feedback.