General Library Info

Library Hours

From Labor Day to Memorial Day, winter library hours are:

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, summer library hours are:

Library Cards and Check-out

A Marshalltown Public Library borrower’s card will be issued to any resident of Iowa who is at least 3 years of age. Children 3 to 11 will be issued a youth card which must be signed by a parent or legal guardian who is responsible for items checked out by the child. Identification with a permanent current address (drivers’ license; utility bill; school ID, etc.) must be shown by anyone applying for a borrower’s card. Lost cards can be replaced for $1.00.

You must present a current library card or other proof of identification to check out library materials.

The library collects a variety of materials for check-out--including books, audiobooks on tape and CD, DVDs, magazines and newspapers, and book/tape sets.

Renewals are welcomed and can be made in person, by phone (754-5738), or in the online catalog. Reserved or high demand materials cannot be renewed.

Fines are assessed at the rate of $0.20 per day per item for overdue materials. Patrons who lose or damage books or other items will be charged replacement cost plus a $3.00 service charge.

Books and other items may be returned 24 hours per day at the library’s drive-up book and audio-visual returns located on Linn Street, on the north side of the library building.

If we do not own the book or audiobook you are looking for, the library may be able to borrow it for you from another library. Ask at the Information Desk about interlibrary loan!

Staff

The library employs 16 full and part-time staff members.  The staff is assisted by some 84 volunteers who donated over 4,000 hours of their time last year.

Library Board of Trustees

A seven-member Library Board of Trustees sets policy and oversees the budget and operations of the library. The Board holds monthly meetings open to the public on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 4:30pm in Community Meeting Room A.

Board members and meetings

About the Library

Marshalltown Public Library exists to provide residents of Marshalltown and Marshall County with materials and services that meet their needs for recreation, information, education, and cultural awareness.

The Marshalltown Public library was established as a free municipal library in 1898. It moved to the building at 36 N. Center Street in 1902 after Andrew Carnegie donated $30,000 for the construction of a new library building. The Leise Addition, just west of the original Carnegie building, was added in 1975. The library's current building, at 105 West Boone Street, was completed in December 2008.

The library is a department of the City of Marshalltown and is funded primarily by municipal tax dollars.

The Marshalltown Public Library’s “Statement of Purpose" and policies are contained in the "Marshalltown Public Library Policies," available at any library service desk.

The Marshalltown Public Library meets Iowa public library standards and is accredited by the State Library of Iowa.

2011 Annual Report

Circulation:  315,070 items for the year (an average of 1,013 items per day)
                        68% of those check-outs were books
Although the library checks out DVDs, eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines, the bulk of our business remains getting printed books into the hands of our community members.

Library Visits:
There were 268,275 visits during 2011 – that’s over 800 people every day the library is open. It's a 7% increase over last year.

Meeting Room Use:
About 8,200 patrons used our library meeting rooms in 2011.  The library’s large community meeting room and 4 group study rooms are used by a wide variety of state associations, community clubs and organizations, students, and area businesses.

Internet Use:
265 people use the library’s 30 Internet stations on an average day. Library Internet use has increased 17% in the last year.

Library Programming:
The library had 13,100 attendees at 450 library programs in 2011.

Meeting Rooms

Learn more about the library's Meeting Spaces.

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