HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The San Diego County Library is a public library system serving
San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...
in the U.S. state of California. Any person living in the state is eligible for a free library card. The San Diego County Library consists of 33 branches, two bookmobiles, and two 24/7 Library to Go kiosks. ''
Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practi ...
'' and Gale (part of Cengage Learning) conferred the 2012 Library of the Year award on the San Diego County Library. During the 2015–2016 fiscal year the San Diego County Library circulated over 11.5 million books, CDs, DVDs, and other material formats; recorded 5.4 million visits to library branches and hosted 34,890 library programs. The San Diego County Library is one of the 25 busiest libraries in the United States as measured by materials circulated. Despite budget cuts, the County library system has increased hours of operation.


Services


Circulation

The San Diego County Library circulates a variety of materials, including books, DVDs, compact discs, downloadable
audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
s, and magazines. The library carries materials in a variety of languages. Books can be borrowed from the County library through the
San Diego Public Library The San Diego Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Diego, California. History The San Diego Public Library was established on May 19, 1882, by an elected board of library trustees, one of whom was civic leader a ...
system. In 2007, the San Diego County Library joined The San Diego Circuit, a consortium of libraries that includes
San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
,
UC San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is th ...
, CSU San Marcos, and
University of San Diego The University of San Diego (USD) is a private Roman Catholic research university in San Diego, California. Chartered in July 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University (comprising the College for Men and Sch ...
. Library cardholders with any Circuit library may request books to be transferred to their local library at no charge. The San Diego County Library also participates in the Link+ borrowing consortium, loaning and borrowing books and media from over 40 libraries throughout California and Nevada, under much the same borrowing procedure as the San Diego Circuit. The library is utilizing technology to improve customer service. Customers are able to browse the
catalog Catalog or catalogue may refer to: *Cataloging **'emmy on the 'og **in science and technology ***Library catalog, a catalog of books and other media ****Union catalog, a combined library catalog describing the collections of a number of libraries ...
via the Internet, enabling them to request items, and view their account. Most library branches have express checkout machines that allow customers to check their items out themselves. Many branches of the library have express check in machines that allow customers to check their items in themselves as well. Some customers may qualify for the library's Books-by-Mail program.


Public computer services

Each branch library offers free computer use, including internet access and
word processing A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consen ...
. All branches offer 3D printing and free
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network Communication protocol, protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital d ...
internet access. The library subscribes to a number of subscription online resources (e.g. Morningstar, OverDrive downloadable audiobooks) that customers may access from home.


Events

The San Diego County Library provides a wide range of programming for customers of all ages. During the 2007–2008 fiscal year, the library system hosted 13,858 programs. The library often hosts performers, such as musicians,
magicians Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...
,
dancers Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
, and
puppeteers A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from ...
. Other events include book discussions, film screenings, and
craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...
instruction. The San Diego County Library publishes a comprehensive print calendar detailing events at every branch library, as well as a web-based calendar, located on the library's web site.


Literacy Services & Online High School

LEARN (Libraries Empower All to Read Now) is the San Diego County Library's adult literacy program. LEARN offers free tutoring in basic reading, writing and math skills, as well as tutoring in standardized tests, such as the
GED The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US hig ...
and the
ASVAB The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States Armed Forces. It is o ...
. LEARN also provides U.S. citizenship and naturalization classes as well as services for English as a Second Language (
ESL English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EF ...
) in collaboration with community partners. The San Diego County Library offers adults an opportunity to earn an accredited high school diploma through the Career Online High School program.


Branches

The San Diego County Library is composed of 33 branches, located in: There are also two mobile libraries, which serve the east and north parts of San Diego County. There are also four 24/7 Library to Go kiosks; located in Bonsall, Boulevard, Chula Vista, and
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
. Anyone possessing a library card can borrow and return books at any branch. In addition, materials may be transferred between these branches for pickup by customers, at no charge.


References


External links


Official website
of the San Diego County Library {{Authority control
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
Libraries in San Diego County, California Link+ libraries