General Library Information

The library is located one and one-half blocks west of the Williamson County Courthouse, between Rock and Martin Luther King Jr. Streets. The address is 402 W. 8th Street, Georgetown, TX 78626.

For more specific contact information, visit our "Contact Us" page which lists phone numbers, email addresses and driving directions.

Library Hours & Holiday Closures

Hours of Operation

• Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Sunday Noon - 5 p.m.

The Children's Room and the second floor stacks and reference area close 10 minutes before the library closes. Library card applications will not be processed in the last 10 minutes before closing.

Public access computers are shut down 15 minutes before closing.

Holiday Closures

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday (observed date)
• Memorial Day
• 4th of July
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day plus Friday, Saturday and Sunday following
• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (December 24 and 25)

General Information

A group of interested citizens, organized as the Friends of the Library, established the Georgetown Area Library in 1967. Operating since 1987 as a department of the City of Georgetown, the present 49,500 square foot facility opened in January 2007. During FY 2007-08, the library's budget was approximately $1.6 million.

The Georgetown Public Library houses and administers a collection of more than 80,000 items, including popular fiction and non-fiction for adults, youth, and children; classics; large-print materials; reference; books on cassette; videos; DVDs; music CDs; books on CD; literacy materials; books in Spanish; newspapers and magazines, to meet the life-long learning and reading interests of library users. Weekly story hours, a summer reading program, reference services, and public access to the Internet are a few of the services provided without cost to the public. Also, under the TexShare program, library users may go in person to borrow materials from other participating libraries in Texas. Inter-library loan service, to borrow materials from other libraries by mail, is available at a small cost.

Library Cards and Fees

 Individuals older than 16 who wish to apply for a card must present 

picture ID and proof of current residence. Residents of Georgetown 

and persons who pay City property taxes may receive library cards 

at no cost.

• Nonresidents may borrow library materials for an annual fee of $25.00, which provides cards for all family members.
• The annual fee for nonresidents who are 65 or older is $20, which provides cards for all family members.
• Lost cards will be replaced for a fee of $1.00.
• If a person applying for a new library card lives at the same address as a person who has fines or fees of $5.00 or more, the new applicant may be denied a library card until the fees are paid.

Children's Library Cards

• Any family member, including children of any age, may receive a library card when an adult library member requests that they be added to his or her record. In other cases, a parent or guardian must apply for an individual card for children under 16 years of age.
• Children also may receive cards through a program operated in cooperation with the Georgetown Independent School District. Applications are distributed to students at the beginning of the school year. Resident students who apply will receive regular library cards; nonresidents will receive special cards with limited borrowing privileges that are good for the school year. Nonresident students may have to pay a $5.00 fee to have unlimited borrowing privileges during the summer months.

Texshare Card

• After you have been a member of the Georgetown library for one month, and your record is free of fines and fees, you are eligible to receive a TexShare card, which gives you borrowing privileges at many public and academic libraries in Texas. Nearby libraries that participate in this program include Southwestern University, Round Rock Public Library, and UT-Austin. Your TexShare card must be renewed annually. Ask at the circulation desk for more information.

Loan Periods

The loan period for most library books, all audio books, and all music CDs is 21 days. The loan period for videos and DVDs is 14 days. The loan period for most new books is 14 days; however, new books that are more that 500 pages long check out for 21 days. Reference materials, magazines and newspapers may not be checked out.

Renewals

Unless someone else has placed a hold on an item, all materials may be renewed one time, either in person, by phone, or online.

Bookdrops

One drive-up outdoor bookdrop is available. It is on the south side of the building, to the right as you drive into the 9th Street entrance. This drop is open at all times, but to minimize damage to books, please use this drop only when you are unable to come into the library. Do not put oversized or fragile materials in the bookdrop.

Overdue Notices

If you have an email address on record with the library, you will receive an email notice three days before your borrowed items are due, and if they are not returned or renewed, you will receive another email notice three days after the items are due. Thirty days after items are due the library will mail a postcard reminding you of the overdue items. After sixty days you will receive a letter in the mail reminding you of the overdue items, but at that time the items are declared lost and charges for replacement are placed on your record.  If you believe you receive any of these notices in error, or if you have questions about notices you may receive, please call the library at 930-3551.

Fines

A fine of 10 cents per day is assessed on all overdue library materials. There is no grace period.

Interlibrary Loan

If the library does not have materials you are looking for, it may be possible to borrow them from another library through inter-library loan (ILL). Request forms are available at the circulation desk. The charge for this service is one-way postage on the item ordered. ILLs may take up to three (3) weeks to arrive and genealogical materials often take longer than three weeks.

Books-On-The-Go

Book delivery and pick-up services are available to Georgetown residents who are permanently or temporarily homebound. Non-residents who have friends or relatives who can pick up and return materials for them also may participate. More information about this service is available at the circulation desk.

Texas History Room

The Texas History Room contains printed materials related to state and local history and materials about how to do genealogy. The microform reader-printer and microfilm cabinets are in the reference area on the second floor. Microfilm of the Williamson County Sun and Texas censuses is available. Staff members are available most days to help you locate resources.

Donations

Your financial gift to the library will support and enhance library collections and programs. Individuals or groups may give gifts in memory of friends and family, or in honor of the living to commemorate special occasions or anniversaries.

Donations of books or magazines are also appreciated. Please remember, however, that materials that have stains, mildew, dirt, missing pages or covers are unusable in the library.

Volunteers

Volunteers are a valuable resource for the library and perform a variety of tasks in all areas. If you wish to help, pick up an application at the circulation desk or call Kathleen Bowling at 930-3624.

Copyright

U.S. copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) prohibits the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted materials, except as permitted by the principles of "fair use." Users may not copy or distribute electronic materials (including email, text, images, programs or data) without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. Any responsibility for any consequences of copyright infringement lies with the user; the Library expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility resulting from such use.

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Privacy

The Georgetown Public Library seeks to protect the First Amendment rights of its patrons and their individual right to privacy. However, Internet users must be aware that workstations are in public areas and, therefore, images and text on the screen are subject to view by a wide audience. Users are cautioned that the Internet is not a secure environment. Personal information included in all transactions, files and communications may be subject to unauthorized access by third parties. The Georgetown Public Library respects the confidentiality of those using its electronic resources and will only release library records as required by law or for the Library's operations.

The Electronic Library

The library's online catalog is computerized. At the catalog computer stations and online you also may view the status of your library record and place holds on materials you wish to borrow.

Other computer workstations are available at the library for connection to the Internet, to use reference software, and to use office suite software. Printing from any of these computers costs 10¢ per page.

Access to the computer workstations is on a first-come, first-served basis. After logging in, anyone may use the workstations for a maximum of one hour each day. Children 13 and younger who wish to use the computers in the Children's Room must log in there.

Free wireless access to the Internet is available for persons who wish to use their personal laptop computers in the library. A large seating area with surge protected electrical connections is available on the second floor, near the reference desk. Food and beverage consumption is permitted in this area as well as all others areas of the library.

Please click the Computers & Internet Use tab on this web page for more information about the public access computers.

The library occasionally offers free computer instruction classes for adults and children. Schedules are available online and when classes are offered, sign-up sheets are available at the Reference Desk (512-930-3627).