Etowah Carnegie Public Library

We at the Etowah Carnegie Library strive to make available to our patrons a wide variety of materials with the most up-to-date books and materials we can. If you need something we don't have, we will try our best to help you find it.

The Etowah Library is a historic place, but we are striving to be one of the most modern for our size. As of April 2001, we no longer are signing cards. We are part of our Regional Libraries' SIRSI circulation system. You can now look up books in our library or any library in our region online from any computer.

One very valuable service we offer is the Tennessee Electronic Library.

You may now access digital books using the R.E.A.D.S. system.

Collections:

The Library has approximately 11,000 items in its several collections.

Adult fiction books number about 8,000 and are divided into sections for Mysteries, Westerns, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Romances, and General. The books in each section are shelved alphabetically by the author's last name.

Adult nonfiction books number about 2,000 and are arranged on the shelves according to the Dewey Decimal Classification System.

Both fiction and nonfiction books can be located using the online public access workstations located throughout the library.

Other collections we have:

• Louis L'amour - Several old books as well as newer ones. This is a favorite western author.
• Zane Grey - Western author
• Large Print book section
• Children's Library - The Children's Library contains about 1,000 books divided into "J" or "Ya"(for 3rd grade and above) and "E" (for second grade and below). The books are arranged on the shelves in the same manner as those in the adult collection and can be located using the same online catalog. We are working to provide more space for our children's rooms.
• AR (Accelerated Reader) Section - We keep our AR books in separate shelves for easy access for our young patrons. We have lists from Mountain View, Etowah City and Benton Elementary. There is a wide variety of materials for all AR students.
• Video Collection - We have videos to check out for a two-day period. We have locally owned and regional videos that are changed out every three months by our regional staff. We have the Heartland Series videos, American Civil War Series, Children's as well as Adult videos.
• Audio tapes - These too are regional and local tapes. The checkout time for these is two weeks. These are loaned by our Regional Library and are rotated every three months.

Genealogy and Local History:

We have many books that contain information to help the novice to the most experienced genealogist. Our policy is to offer a quick tour of our resources and then leave you to do the digging. Some people have been following this quest for years and yet they always manage to find another tidbit to add to their family history.

This collection contains books on genealogy and local history, to be used within the Library. Copies of the Etowah Enterprise (until it ceased publishing in 1990), court records and census schedules are available for photocopying.

We also have a file cabinet full of family folders. Members of a family compile information such as newspaper articles, photographs, etc. and start a family file. As other people come in and gather information, they too can leave bits and pieces of information. Some of the families have turned this information into books.

Follow these links to other genealogy websites:

Tennessee Genealogy
http://www.tngenweb.org/
 
Family Search
http://www.familysearch.org/
 
Global Surname Search
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
 
Genealogy Forms
http://www.cs.williams.edu/~bailey/genealogy/

Resources:

• Old copies of the Etowah Enterprise
• Accelerated reading books for school children
• AR lists from Mountain View, Etowah City and Benton Elementary schools
• Archives from Etowah Friendly Garden Club
• Tennessee Code Annotated Sets

Outreach Programs

We offer our shut in patrons a delivery service of their desired books.

Library Network

We order books from a network of other libraries throughout the state. The is no cost for ordering a book from another library. The checkout time of these books is two weeks

Youth Services

For our youth and children, we have a whole room just for their books. We are constantly updating these for their reading enjoyment. We have several old "classics" they enjoy reading.

Reference:

Materials in this area cover a wide range of subjects and include such items as dictionaries, atlases, encyclopedias, periodical and bibliographical indexes. These materials must be used in the Library. Assistance from the staff is available as time permits.

Computer Lab:

We are very proud of our computer lab. This was established in April 2000. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated four computer workstations, a content server and a laser printer for our patrons to use.

We currently have 12 public computers and 3 staff computers.

We are constantly trying to provide updates for our patrons.

Your Library Card:

A new library card is issued at no charge to area residents after an application is completed and proof of a correct, current mailing address is provided. Although a current driver's license is the most common form of identification/address verification, other items include which can be used include mail, phone and/or utility bills, printed checks, voter's registration, etc.

It only takes a few minutes to register for your card and you can use it on your first visit although there is a first time limit to two books. You can borrow books, videos, and talking books from any of the library's circulating collections after verification of information for new card holders.

Please inform the library staff if an address or telephone number has changed. Library cards for children 14 and under must be signed for by parents or guardians who have library cards in good standing; these persons will be held responsible for all materials checked on the children's cards. Failure to return library materials is a serious matter and can result in library privileges being suspended with a fine of 10" per day per book and 50" per day per video. This is assessed per day until materials are returned.

Volunteer Opportunities:

We have available opportunities for anyone wishing to volunteer time at the Library. They range from helping with books to the Children's Summer Reading Program. We welcome all volunteers.

We have our book sale once a year and need any and all volunteers to help with this.

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