PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY MEMORIAL LIBRARY SYSTEM
At a Glance

The mission of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System is to promote and make available library resources that will fill the lifelong learning needs of individuals and groups in Prince George’s County.

Director: Maralita L. Freeny

Board of Library Trustees: seven members, appointed by the County Executive, serving five-year terms. President: Michael J. Howard, Vice President: Rebecca L.Gitter, Josef B. Brown, Sylvia Bolivar, Mark Polk, Dr. Alease J. Christy Wright and John Peter Thompson.

Staff: 324 salaried employees, 142 hourly employees (FY ‘08)

Prince George’s County Public Library Foundation: established in 1993

Friends of the Library: groups at 18 branch libraries

Website Address: www.pgcmls.info

Operating budget: 27 million operating budget (FY ‘08)

Facilities:

• 18 Community Libraries
• Public Documents Library in the County Administration Building
• County Correctional Center Library

Registered borrowers: 379,482 (FY ’07)

Volumes owned: 2,163,234 (FY ’07)

Circulation: 3,837,659 (FY ’07)

Attendance at programs: 120,942 (FY ’07)

Services worth noting:

• English conversation clubs for speakers of other languages at Hyattsville and New Carrollton
• Internet access in all branches; wireless internet access at Accokeek, Bladensburg, Bowie, Fairmount Heights, Glenarden, Greenbelt, Hillcrest Heights, Largo-Kettering, Laurel, New Carrollton, Oxon Hill, Spauldings and Upper Marlboro Branches
• Children’s, teen and business outreach specialists
• Extensive collection of databases, many accessible from outside the library. Currently offering 79 databases.
• Live Homework Help, a free on-line tutoring service available in English and Spanish for grades 4-12, featuring expert tutors daily from 3 pm until 11 pm offering help in our branches or via our website for math, science, social studies and English
• AskUsNow! A 24/7 live online interactive service allowing Maryland residents and students to ask librarians questions, request research guidance and help navigating the Internet
• Award-winning web site
• Computerized communication system for the deaf and hard-of-hearing in all branches
• Homebound library services for individuals who are disabled or ill
• Audio-Visual Services, the largest centralized public library collection in the Washington metro area; includes videos, 16 mm films, descriptive videos, digital video discs, compact discs and the complete collections by ASL Access Video, the Teaching Company and Criterion

Special research collections:

• Maryland Room at the Hyattsville Branch-Maryland history and census records
• Selima Room at the Bowie Branch-horse racing and breeding in Maryland
• Sojourner Truth Room at the Oxon Hill Branch-African American history and culture
• Tugwell Room at the Greenbelt Branch-planned communities in the United States

Free programs for all ages:

• 21 monthly book discussions for adults, children and teen book discussion groups at eight branches, including CRABS (Children Raving About Books) at the Oxon Hill Branch, chess clubs at eleven branches and six African American literature discussion groups
• More than sixty weekly preschool story programs, including programs for infants and toddlers and bi-lingual story programs
• Summer reading programs for children, teens and adults that in 2007 attracted over 14,868 participants
• Special programs of a cultural and educational nature: concerts, babysitting workshops for teens, financial planning workshops, African American history, training on Internet searching skills, lectures and seminars

Office of Public Relations & Programming
November 2007