Library Services

  • Over 35,000 books, materials and resources available for patrons’ use
  • A part of 56-member (and growing) Missouri Evergreen consortium (missourievergreen.org) to offer interlibrary loan for patrons with room to grow with more libraries jumping on the band wagon. Missouri Evergreen has small, rural, mid-sized libraries amongst its membership, along with regional library systems offering resource sharing.   Interlibrary loans are still available from Kansas City Public Library and Mid Continent Library branches as well.
  • Two times a week courier stops for free delivery and return of interlibrary loans.
  • Online card catalog with capability to place holds, check requests and renew items from home computers, laptops, cell phones and mobile devices. Also features email and texting to those that enable their library card account to receive email or text messages for notices. Download the Missouri Evergreen App!
  • Over 75 subscriptions to periodicals including newspapers for in house use and magazines that can be checked out.
  • Library Staff Reader’s Advisory service.
  • 12 Patron accessible computers for internet connectivity or word processing.
  • 3 Wireless internet access points, two in main library, one in lower level for E-readers, laptops, smart phones and mobile devices.
  • Video Conferencing hosting and receiving site for group trainings or workshops. The Missouri State Library and Grand River Library Consortium hold trainings/workshops for library personnel in our facility.
  • Proctoring tests for online college students and non-traditional students.
  • E-Reader services from AXIS360 app and website. Grand River Digital Library Consortium offers new releases and current best sellers through the Axis360 app and/or website for e-Books and e-AudioBooks.  Carrollton Public Library is proud to offer alternative methods for your e-Content featuring new release authors!
  • E-Reader services from Libby app and molib2go.org featuring the online catalog of Missouri Libraries 2 Go consortium to which the library belongs. One hundred Missouri Libraries gathered their resources to offer E-Reader services compatible with Nook, Kindles, iPads, Sony, etc. for downloadable e-books and audiobooks including pesky mathematics books to explain the area of a circle.  Added benefits are video streaming and periodicals!
  • Provide certification to qualify patrons for the resources offered by the Wolfner Library. The Wolfner Library serves individuals affected by blindness or visual impairment and physical disabilities.
  • “Book a Librarian” for library staff tutorials with patrons for resumes, word processing and excel help, online applications, E-Reader services with different devices, etc.
  • Public use printer/copier/scanner/fax for patrons.
  • Clean public restrooms!
  • Community Shelter and heating/cooling center for the community during inclement or extreme weather.
  • VAST resources in the library’s genealogy room including Ancestry.com
    public access; obituaries; births, marriage, deaths, cemeteries books; Carroll
    County history books; microfilmed Carroll County newspapers dating back to
    1864; newspaper microfilm reader and printer; Carroll County probate
    records from 1830’s – 1950’s;  DAR book collection; family researched
    genealogy books; high school yearbooks; High Definition Book scanner and
    microfilm machine, etc. etc.
  • Offer in house, volunteer genealogist to assist patrons with genealogy research.
  • Carroll County Historical Society history books and the Carroll County Genealogy Association’s publications for sale. Also hold in house, Christmas Store during late November through December for sale of publications and other items from both groups.
  • Housing special collection of local artist, renowned for his wood cuts, Fred Geary; and retail outlet for the Missouri State Historical Society’s published pictorial book, and note cards, of Geary’s works.
  • House Carroll County E-911 and emergency preparedness training.
  • Offer Conference Room or Board Room rental space to community organizations or educational groups for trainings, workshops or video conferencing.
  • Member of the Carrollton Area Economic Alliance/Chamber.
  • Carrollton’s Annual Halloween Costume Contest; offering books, pencils, and treats to the trick-or-treaters at the library.
  • During Carrollton’s Annual Band Day, Carrollton’s Fall Festival, and Carrollton’s Walk About (Sip & Stroll), the library provides city information and restroom facilities to out of town guests.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do I pay $25.00 to use the library if I do not live in town?
There is not a fee to use the library. Anyone may use the computers, do research, read in the library and participate in library programs. The $25.00 fee is only for patrons who want to check out books and do not own property within the city limits. The fee is an annual per household fee. The bulk of the library’s operating revenue is city property taxes. The library does not receive sales taxes or county taxes. Anyone who owns property within the city limits pays a library tax; that tax is .26 per $100 of assessed valuation. The average library tax is over $25.00. If patrons do not live within the city limits of Carrollton or do not own property within the city limits, they pay a non-resident fee of $25.00. The non-resident fees that the library collects are equivalent to 1/3 of the library’s book budget. The library can purchase 1 ½ books for $25.00 or two magazine subscriptions for $25.00.

2. Why can’t the library become a county library?
The city library cannot just change to a county library. The Carrollton Public Library is a city library supported by city taxes. The county voters would have to pass a tax to form a county library that is supported by county taxes. The tax would be based on assessed valuations of the taxpayers’ properties.

3. Who operates the library?
The director and library staff perform the day-to-day operations of the library. A board of nine volunteers, appointed by the Town Council and Mayor, hires the director. The board and director meet at least once a month, more often when necessary. All revenues and expenditures are viewed and approved by the board. The board elects a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The treasurer and one board member sign all checks; the director does not sign checks. The city’s financial assistant collects the library tax, and the city disperses the tax revenue to the library. The library deposits the tax money into its operating account; a portion of the money is invested until it is needed for operations. The library prepares a budget and submits the budget to the city every year. The city also receives the monthly board packet that the library board members receive. The library is audited annually. The library board members and director are bonded.