This article contains promotional content. (November 2017) |
Baltimore County Public Library | |
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39°23′04″N 76°34′23″W / 39.38441°N 76.57315°W | |
Location | Baltimore County, Maryland |
Type | Public library |
Established | 1948 |
Branches | 19[1][2] |
Collection | |
Size | 1.8 million (2018)[2] |
Access and use | |
Circulation | 11.2 million (2018)[2] |
Population served | 831,128 (2018)[2] |
Other information | |
Budget | US$44,583,291 (2018)[2] |
Director | Sonia Alcántara-Antoine[3] |
Employees | 503.3 FTE (2018)[2] |
Website | www |
Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL), established in 1948, is a public library system located in central Maryland and headquartered in Towson, Maryland[4][5] BCPL serves Baltimore County, Maryland, which surrounds but does not include the city of Baltimore.[6] Still, occasionally the two library systems share resources and expertise.[7]
BCPL has 19 branch locations. BCPL's Mobile Library Services operates 4 bookmobiles, with the two largest branches at Cockeysville and Towson, while fulfilling environmental and sustainable goals.[8][9] The branches are strategically located around Baltimore County. Baltimore County has no incorporated towns or communities.[10][5] Yet the unincorporated areas have names and are considered communities by many residents despite having no clear-cut boundaries, meaning that many of these communities have a BCPL branch located within them.[11][12]
BCPL offers a wide variety of services, with its branches offering a collection of current, high-demand print and non-print items, including books on compact discs, DVDs, and video games, as well as access to online research databases, downloadable audiobooks, ebooks, and much more.[13][14][15] All branches provide public computer access, are Wi-Fi accessible, and offer free programs and activities for all ages.[16] Librarians are available at each branch to respond to the information needs of customers who walk-in or phone-in with questions.[17][18]