About the Hillsdale Community Library
Library services, in one form or another, have been offered for nearly 135 years in the city of Hillsdale. In 1879, a group of women formed a library association with the intention to “circulate good literature among the people of Hillsdale.” The books they collected would eventually become the foundation of the Mitchell Public Library, which opened in 1908. The Mitchell Public Library served Hillsdale for 95 years until the construction of the Hillsdale Community Library in 2003, a two million dollar state-of-the-art library building.
Growing from the initial collection of 2,666 volumes, the Hillsdale Community Library collection currently stands at over 50,000 volumes and continues to grow. The new library also includes dedicated space for children, teen, and adult materials, plus large print, audio books, and DVDs. There are 14 public access computers. The facility includes spacious community meeting rooms that not only provides programming space for the library, but also for the local civic and other organizations, to rent for presentations and meetings.
Library Hours:
Monday – Tuesday: 10am – 6 pm
Wednesday – Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 1pm
Sunday: Closed
11 E. Bacon St.
Hillsdale, MI 49242
Phone: 517.437.6470
Fax: 517.437.6477
info@hillsdale-library.org
Mission Statement
Hillsdale Community Library is dedicated to serving the informational, educational, and recreational needs of the citizens of Hillsdale. As a public agency, the library is maintained as a service to the community and the people who support it. Service of the library is not limited to individuals but extends to support the civic, educational and cultural activities of groups and organizations. The library cooperates with other organizations, agencies, and institutions to provide library service.
Vision Statement
The vision for this library builds on the strengths and achievements of the past and envisions a future in which the library reflects the changing needs and desires of those who use it and reaches out in a creative way to attract new users. The library provides a welcoming environment to all, makes the best technology available to serve the information needs of the community, and encourages lifelong learning.
History of the Library
Library Policies
HCL Policy Manual
HCL Board Bylaws
HCL Material Selection Policy
Michigan Library Law Handbook
Use the Library
Library Services
The Hillsdale Community Library offers a vast array of services to assist the members of our community.
Children and Young Adult Collections
The library maintains a separate collection of children and young adult books and materials. Throughout the summer, as well as during the school year, the library has very active children and young adult programs. For more information, please contact our Children’s Librarian.
Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary loan service is available for patrons with requests which cannot be found in our library. If we don’t have it, we will try and get it for you from another public library.
Library Tours
We will give a detailed tour of the library to any group which requests it. The tour must be prearranged, but your group is welcome to come and browse informally if a tour is not necessary. We welcome class visits!
Public Access Computers
For patron use, the library has 10 public access computers available which are equipped with word processing, database, spreadsheet, and presentation software, and are connected to the internet.
Public Meeting Rooms
The library offers its meeting room(s) to public groups wishing to present programs or to hold meetings which serve the community’s needs. See meeting room policies for details.
Public Photocopier/Fax Machine
A photocopier is available for use in the library at a charge of 10 cents for 8 ½ x 11 black and white copies. Color copies are 25 cents per page. To fax, the charge is 1 dollar for every page. Faxes outside of the US are 5 dollars per page. A fax cover sheet is required to be used. These are provided at no cost.
School Visits
Our Children’s Librarian visits area elementary and middle schools to present information on the library and our dedicated Children’s Programs.
Wireless Internet Access
Wireless 802.11b/g access is available in most areas of the building (including in the meeting rooms). Patrons must have their network card configured to use TCP/IP, and to obtain an IP address automatically via DHCP. Connection points (RJ45 jacks) can also be found throughout the building.
Library Collection
The Hillsdale Community Library collection currently consists of over 39,000 volumes of books and over 50 periodicals. We also have a collection of audiobooks (both books on CD and Playaway) and videos.
Fiction Collection
We have approximately six thousand titles in our fiction collection, including numerous award-winning books, as well as best sellers, and other popular titles.
Nonfiction
Our second largest collection in the library, the nonfiction likewise includes award-winning books, best sellers, and other popular titles.
Reference
Our reference collection consists of such items as encyclopedias, almanacs, language dictionaries, a register of Michigan Manufacturers, atlases, statistical abstracts, and many other source materials.
Children & Young Adult
The library maintains a separate collection of books for children and young adults. The children and young adult collections make up roughly 34% of the entire library collection.
Large Print Books
We have over 1,600 Large Print titles including both fiction and nonfiction.
Audio Books
Our Audio Book collection has over 1,500 titles. The collection includes both books on CD and Playaway.
Newspapers
The library subscribes to The Hillsdale Daily News and The Wall Street Journal.
Periodicals
The library subscribes to numerous weekly and monthly publications such as Newsweek, Time, Forbes, Taste of Home, etc. Patrons may check out periodicals.
Special Collections
The Mitchell Research Center, next door to the Hillsdale Community Library, maintains a collection of materials related to the history of Hillsdale and the surrounding areas. The MRC collection consists of birth and death records, census information, family histories, etc and is cared for by the Friends of the Mitchell Research Center, a non-profit organization.
Other Collections
The library also maintains a collection of approximately 1,500 medical books and other scientific resources, which are available to the public for use.
Meeting Rooms
The Hillsdale Community Library offers its meeting room(s) to public groups wishing to present programs or hold meetings which serve the communities needs. Please call 437-6470 to reserve the room. There is a fee for the use of the room.
We have 3 meeting rooms available to rent during library hours. Each room can seat 25 people and currently, the wall can be retracted to make a larger room to seat 50-55.
Click here for more information
FAQ
Commonly Asked Questions
If you can’t find the answer you need below, please Contact Us directly.
How do I get a Hillsdale Community Library Card?
Depending on your residency status, all you need to do to get a free library card is bring in your picture ID and fill out a brief form. You’ll be ready to check out books as soon as we put you in our computer system. If you do not live within our service area, there is a $40/year subscription fee.
Why is there a library card subscription fee?
The subscription fee is only for those outside of our service area. The cost is $40/year. We came up with this yearly payment, as this is how much our patrons within our service area pay via taxes to the library each year.
I am doing genealogy research. Where do I find genealogy material in the Hillsdale area?
You may contact the Friends of the Mitchell Research Center next door in the Mitchell building (next door to the library) for local information.
I have looked at the Hillsdale Community Library catalog and the library does not own the materials I am looking for. How can I get these materials?
Ask at the front desk and we may be able to order what you’re looking for through our interlibrary loan system. It may take a little time, but we usually can find the materials in another library.
Does the library have computers that the public can access?
We currently have ten computers designated for public access. Each computer has access to the internet as well as to other standard software titles.
Can I access the library network with my laptop?
The library offers wireless access to the internet and to the card catalog. If you need help connecting to the network, please ask at the front desk.