General Library Info
Library Hours
From the beginning of the Marshalltown school year to Memorial Day, normal
library hours are:
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Monday through Thursday |
9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
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Fridays |
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
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Saturdays |
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
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Sundays |
CLOSED |
From Memorial Day to the beginning of the Marshalltown school year, summer library hours are:
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Monday through Thursday |
9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
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Fridays |
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
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Saturdays |
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
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Sundays |
CLOSED |
Library Cards and Check-out
A Marshalltown Public Library borrower’s card will be issued to any resident of Iowa who is at least 3 years of age. Children 3 to 11 will be issued a youth card which must be signed by a parent or legal guardian who is responsible for items checked out by the child. Identification with a permanent current address (drivers’ license; utility bill; school ID, etc.) must be shown by anyone applying for a borrower’s card. Lost cards can be replaced for $1.00.
You must present a current library card or other proof of identification to check out library materials.
The library collects a variety of materials for check-out--including books, audiobooks on tape and CD, DVDs, magazines and newspapers, and book/tape sets.
Renewals are welcomed and can be made in person, by phone (754-5738), or in the online catalog. Reserved or high demand materials cannot be renewed.
Fines are assessed at the rate of $0.20 per day per item for overdue materials. Patrons who lose or damage books or other items will be charged replacement cost plus a $3.00 service charge.
Books and other items may be returned 24 hours per day at the library’s drive-up book and audio-visual returns located on Linn Street, on the north side of the library building.
If we do not own the book or audiobook you are looking for, the library may be able to borrow it for you from another library. Ask at the Information Desk about interlibrary loan!
About the Library
Marshalltown Public Library exists to provide residents of Marshalltown and Marshall County with materials and services that meet their needs for recreation, information, education, and cultural awareness.
The Marshalltown Public library was established as a free municipal library in 1898. It moved to the building at 36 N. Center Street in 1902 after Andrew Carnegie donated $30,000 for the construction of a new library building. The Leise Addition, just west of the original Carnegie building, was added in 1975. The library's current building, at 105 West Boone Street, was completed in December 2008.
The library is a department of the City of Marshalltown and is funded primarily by municipal tax dollars. A seven member Board of Library Trustees sets policy and oversees the budget and operations of the library. The Board holds monthly meetings that are open to the public on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 4:30pm. View the current meeting agenda and the previous meeting's minutes.
Seventeen full and part time employees staff the library, and over 50 volunteers are dedicated to providing excellent library service to Marshalltown and Marshall County.
The Marshalltown Public Library’s “Statement of Purpose,” long range plan, and policies are contained in the "Marshalltown Public Library Policies," available at any library service desk.
The Marshalltown Public Library meets Iowa public library standards and is accredited by the State Library of Iowa.
The library's 2009 Annual Report
2009, Our New Building’s First Year
The resounding success of Marshalltown’s new library can be judged by comparing the 2008 calendar year (in the historic Carnegie building) with our first full year in our new facility:
Items checked out: 330,225 -- more than 1,000 items per day – 52% increase over 2008
Cards issued to new patrons: 4,264 – an increase of 181% over 2008
Internet use: 64,545 logons to our public access computer were counted in 2009 – a 171% increase over logons in 2008
Meeting Room Use: Our capacious E.L. and J.C. Williams Community Meeting Room and 4 smaller study rooms have been one of the most well-received amenities in our new library facility. In 2009 7,291 people used library meeting rooms for a variety of purposes. That is a 245% increase over meeting room use in 2008 and does not include people attending our many library programs held in the library Community Meeting Room.
Library attendance: In 2008, we averaged 405 visitors to the library per day for a total year-long attendance of 121,628 individuals. In 2009, 226,616 people stepped into the main library (this does not include people who merely attend a meeting in our Community Meeting Room) – a 86% increase over 2008 – 755 people per day.
Meeting Rooms
Information about the library's Meeting Spaces.
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