Welcome!

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At Howard County Library System, we aim to delight you with extraordinary customer service – whether in person, by telephone, or online.  An academic and business-oriented team that is second to none, we are here for you.

A major component of Howard County's strong education system, Howard County Library System (HCLS) is a nationally recognized leader among the great public libraries that delivers high-quality public education for all ages. We invite you to peruse our web site for all three pillars of our unparalleled curriculum:

I. Self-Directed Education: Find books and materials in all formats from a collection of one million items housed at our six branches, and a vast array of e-resources - all made conveniently available to you by our experts.

II. Research Assistance & Instruction: Sign up for our exceptional line-up of classes, seminars, and workshops for infants, toddlers, children, teens, and adults taught by HCLS instructors; and learn about our adult basic education initiative, HCLS Project Literacy, where instructors and volunteer tutors have taught English, basic math, and life skills to 6,500 students from 33 countries. As part of Cultural Connections, we also process passport applications at our East Columbia Branch.

III. Instructive & Enlightening Experiences: Discover our community partnerships, including A+ Partners in Education, Choose Civility, and Well & Wise, as well as our many signature events, such as the HCLS Spelling Bee, BumbleBee, Battle of the Books, DEAR (Dogs Educating and Assisting Readers), HCLS Rube Goldberg Challenge, Summer Reading Kickoff, best-selling author events, and Evening in the Stacks.

In addition, our web site connects you with our staff and Board of Trustees, as well as volunteer opportunities, donation options, and the Friends of HCLS. We love hearing from you, so please feel free to provide us with feedback. We want to know what you like and what you would like.

It is our hope that you will drop by frequently, both in person and online. One way or another, we look forward to your visit!

Sincerely,
Valerie J. Gross
President & CEO

May 2013