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Prince George's County Public Libraries
Prince George's County Public Libraries
Location	Prince George's County, Maryland, U.S.
Established	1946; 79 years ago
Branches	19
Access and use
Population served	909,308
Other information
Budget	$31,124,600
Website	www.pgcmls.info

The Prince George's County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) is the public library system of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, in the Washington metropolitan area. Its headquarters are in the Largo-Kettering Branch in Largo.^[3]^[4]

Branches and offices

There are 19 branch libraries in the Prince George's County Memorial Library System: Accokeek, Baden, Beltsville, Bladensburg, Bowie, Fairmount Heights, Glenarden, Greenbelt, Hillcrest Heights, Hyattsville, Largo-Kettering, Laurel, Mount Rainier, New Carrollton, Oxon Hill, South Bowie, Spauldings, Surratts-Clinton and Upper Marlboro. The South Bowie branch, the newest library in the county, opened in October 2012. PGCMLS also provides library service at the County Correctional Center.

Previously the library headquarters were in Hyattsville, adjacent to the Hyattsville Library.^[5]

History and organization

The library system was established in 1946 "...as a living memorial to those who have made the supreme sacrifice and a testimonial to all those who served in wars." The Laurel Branch was the first library to become part of the system. The first county-built library was the Hyattsville Branch, which housed the library's administrative offices until 2015. In June of that year, the administrative offices were moved to the Largo-Kettering Branch.^[6] PGCMLS is governed by a board of library trustees, appointed by the County Executive and approved by the County Council.

Community programs and services

Services offered by the Prince George's County Memorial Library System include print, audio, video and electronic materials; storytimes and early literacy programs; programs for elementary school students, teens, and adults; book discussions; the Summer Reading Program; author readings and presentations; public PCs and wireless access; electronic databases; technology for loan such as mobile hotspots and Chromebooks; outreach services; books by mail; meeting and conference rooms; passport services; and volunteer opportunities.

Non-resident library privileges

The library system is part of the Maryland Consolidated Library System, which provides that any person who is a resident of the State of Maryland may obtain a library card at no charge at any county library or Baltimore City. This privilege is also available to non-residents who work for an employer in Maryland or pay property taxes there. A person may apply for a card from any library system in the state, or choose to authorize a card from any other library system in the state on that system.

Non-residents who do not qualify may obtain a library card for a fee of $50 a year. An exception is made for residents of nearby jurisdictions outside of Maryland who will grant free library privileges to county residents, in which case the library will reciprocate. Thus, residents of the District of Columbia as well as the residents of the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax, as well as the counties of Arlington and Fairfax in Virginia may obtain library cards at no charge.

Nearby public library systems

References

Citations

^ "Locations". Prince George's County Public Libraries. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
^ "Memorial Library Budget FY2019". Prince George's County, Maryland.
^ "Contact Us". Prince George's County Memorial Library System. Retrieved 2017-06-25. Prince George's County Memorial Library System 9601 Capital Lane, Largo, MD 20774
^ "Largo-Kettering Branch." Prince George's County Memorial Library System. Retrieved on August 29, 2018. "Largo-Kettering Branch 9601 Capital Lane Largo, MD 20774"
^ "Hyattsville." Prince George's County Memorial Library System. January 1, 2004. Retrieved on September 20, 2018. "Hyattsville Address: 6530 Adelphi Rd. Hyattsville, MD 20782 and "Administrative Offices : 6532 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782-209"
^ "Board of Library Trustees Meeting, June 9, 2015 – 7:30 p.m." (PDF). PGCMLS.

Sources

Denny, George D., Nathania Branch-Miles, and Donna L. Schneider. "Quality of Life." Historic Prince George's County: A Confluence of Cultures. San Antonio, TX: Historical Network, 2011.
Maryland State Archives. “Prince George’s County, Maryland – Executive Branch – Education.” Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives, 20 Feb. 2013.
Prince George's County Memorial Library System. “History of Prince George's County Memorial Library System.” Policy and Procedures Manual, 2003.