Library Services & Guidelines
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Children's Services

The Williamson County Public Library System offers a variety of year-round programming for children, such as:

• Story time
• Preschool crafts
• Special events
• Born to Read: How to Raise a Reader

The Children's Department at the Main Libary in Franklin has six computers with educational software and encyclopedia access. No printer is available.  In addition, there are eight homework stations with both Internet and printer access.

Librarians at each branch are ready to provide readers' advisory assistance, bibliographies, tours and other services as requested. Current program information is available for each branch: Franklin, Bethesda, College Grove, Fairview, Leiper's Fork, and Nolensville.

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Reference Dept.

Both students and business people are well served by the WCPL's expanded reference collection, which contains materials on business, statistics and literary criticism.

Bibliographies are available on business, the Battle of Franklin and other subjects as requested.

The Reference Department provides access to on-line database services, and a growing eBook collection.

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Receive answers to brief, factual questions or suggestions on where to find information via your home or office computer. 

• Questions suitable for this service are ones that can be answered by the library staff within a few minutes. For more in-depth questions or lengthy research, please come to the library. 
• Send your question to ref@williamson-tn.org
  A reply will be sent within 3 business days to the email address provided. If you need a quicker response, please call the Reference Department at 615-595-1243 during the regular library hours

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Special Collections

The Special Collections Department, formerly known as the Genealogy/Local History Room, is located on the second floor of the new main library in Franklin. This non-circulating department includes Genealogy, Local Authors, Local History, and Civil War materials. The collection specializes in materials about Williamson County and its contiguous counties, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia. The 3,000 item Edythe Rucker Whitley Manuscript Collection includes research assembled in notebooks and published books. The department is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 until 5:30. Call 595-1246 for further information.

[for more information click here]

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Inter-Library Loans

Materials not owned by the Williamson County Public Library system may be borrowed from other libraries by patrons in good standing. Check with the Reference staff at each branch.

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Patrons can now request a book from any branch in the WCPL system and expect delivery in a few days at their home libraries if the book is on the shelf. The courier service will run 5 days a week - Tuesday through Saturday. 

Now the entire collection of the WCPL is as available to you as the books in your home library.

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Notary Service

Notary service is provided without charge at all branches during regular library hours, and at the Main Library on Monday through Friday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Please call to confirm that the notary is available before making a special trip to the library.

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Library Cards

 

Children may apply for a library card when they are 4 years old. A parent/guardian must sign the applications of ages 4-17.

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Loan Periods / Fines

 

• Renewals can be made by phone or online (1 per item).
• Borrowers are responsible for paying the replacement cost of damaged or lost materials.
• A $5.00 processing fee will be charged for replacing hardcover books and other processed materials.
• A $2.00 processing fee will be charged for replacing paperbacks.
• A $2.00 replacement and processing fee will be charged for lost video or DVD cases.
• Replacement fine for damaged or torn off barcodes – 50 cents

*Materials may be renewed once if no hold requests have been placed on them.

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Returning Items

• If the Library is open, please put all items in the return slots located inside the main lobby entrance.
   
• If the Library is closed, all materials may be returned by using the drive through depository drop.

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Reserving Materials

You may request books from any branch library within the system. You may also place a hold on books that are currently checked out. You may make reserve requests via the Internet or through remote dial-in. Upon telephone notification, you will have five (5) days in which to pick up reserved material.

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Information on the Tennessee Library Card program is available here.

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The Main Library in Franklin has 69 computers with internet access available for public use. These computers are available on a first come, first serve basis. Reservations can be made up to 24 hours in advance at the reservation station on the second floor. All computers require a valid library card in good standing in order to use them. Youth under 18 must have a library card and parental permission on their library card record to use any computer with Internet access.

Most of the computers on the second floor have Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint as well as internet access. Two computers on the second floor have Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint as well as reference software but no internet access. Printing is available from all computers on the second floor. Color printouts are $1 per page and black and white printouts are $0.15 per page. Patrons must supply their own floppy disks or other storage devices. The library has a limited number of computers with CD burning capabilities.

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Internet Access

Computers with internet access are available on a first come basis. Reservations can be made up to 24 hours in advance at the reservation station on the second floor. All computers require a valid library card in good standing in order to use them. Youth under 18 must have a library card and parental permission on their library card record to use any computer with Internet access. Patrons are responsible for reading and agreeing to abide by the library's Internet Acceptable Use Agreement.

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All patrons must abide by the Library's Internet Usage Policy.  The policy is posted in main computer areas and is available for viewing by clicking here.

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The library tries to provide a send only fax service for patrons.   Local fax charges are $1.00 for the first page and $0.25  per additional page thereafter.  Long distance fax charges are $2.00 for the first page and $0.25 per additional page thereafter.  Contact your nearest library for details.

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A typewriter is available for patron use on a first come first serve basis. Patrons must supply their own paper. 

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Meeting Room Use

A Meeting room is available at the Franklin, Fairview, and Nolensville branches for use by local non-profit groups and organizations. For information at the main library in Franklin, call 595-1250; for all others contact the branch directly.  Meeting room reservations require a minimum of two weeks notice and a signed guidelines agreement. 

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Memorial program

Contributions in "honor" and in "memory" of individuals and families may be made at all branches.

A $20 gift will purchase an individual book in which is placed a gift plate listing the names of both the donor and the honoree. The library also sends a notice of the gift to the family of the person in whose honor or memory the book is given. This is a special way for grandparents to recognize a grandchild's birthday or to honor the work of a civic club president.

Contributions of less than $20 are placed in the Enrichment Fund and used cumulatively to purchase larger and more expensive materials. Larger contributions may be designated to make ongoing purchases of materials or to purchase furnishings or other equipment. Please note that these items will not carry a donor plate.

Memorial purchases are a permanent part of the library's collection -- always non-fiction, unless specified otherwise by the donor -- and truly a lasting and special remembrance.

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A full set of income tax forms for the current year + 3 previous years is maintained by the Reference Dept. at the Franklin location. All other branches have current year +1 previous year. Please ask for assistance.

IRS information is also available on CD-ROM at the Franklin location. Click here for information directly from the IRS.

ITA and AARP provide free or reduced cost tax preperation assistance on an appointment basis.  As tax season nears both organizations provide the library with time and location information for their services.  You may contact the Reference Department at 595-1243 for further information.

Important Notice: The Internal Revenue Service now allows persons to file income tax return information electronically over the Internet. Please note that the Williamson County Public Library System does not allow any user of its Internet service to save or download information. Williamson County does not take responsibility for any user's electronic filing of income tax information, under any circumstances.

Copies of Mail-In Voter Registration Forms are available at all library locations.  Contact each location for more detailed information. Mail-In Voter Registration Forms are also available online by clicking here.

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Residents of Williamson County may contact the Reference Department at 595-1243 to pre-arrange a date and time to take a proctored exam.   Arrangements are made or declined based on adequate space, time periods, and available staffing on the requested date. 

The Williamson County Public Library is now an internet testing location for the TWRA Boating Safety exam. The Williamson County Public Library also has available the materials necessary to prepare for the exam. These include the video and book titled “Boat Tennessee: A Course on Responsible Boating”. Appointments are required to take the Boater Safety Exam.

Appointments are available at the following times:

Monday - Thursday	9:00am to 11:00am 2:00pm to 7:00pm
Friday - Saturday	9:00am to 11:00am 2:00pm to 4:30pm
Sunday	1:00pm to 4:30pm

In order to take the exam, the person must:

1. Be born after January 1, 1989 or be at least 11 years old
2. Have a boating safety exam permit from any license agent that sells hunting and fishing licenses ($10.00 at Wal-Mart sporting goods, bait stores, marinas, etc.). This receipt will admit you into an exam location and will also serve as a temporary certificate if you pass the exam. If you do not pass the exam, this receipt/"ticket" can continue to be used to take the exam as many times as it takes to pass.
3. Have a Williamson County library card in their own name, a TLC sticker or a computer guest pass in their own name. The card must also have internet permission. (Anyone can get a computer guest pass as long as there is a parent or guardian to sign for someone under 17)

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Items left in the library will be kept for a short time before they are discarded.  In Franklin, ask at the Circulation Desk or call 595-1277 for further information.  

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