The Fountain Hills Branch Library has more than books.

The Maricopa County Library District has provided Fountain Hills with library services since 1973 when its Bookmobile began making biweekly stops. The Library District now operates 15 libraries including the Fountain Hills branch.

The Fountain Hills Branch moved into its current location Sept. 29, 2001. The 15,000-square-foot facility houses over 50,000 volumes including adult and children’s books, videos, DVDs, audio CDs and magazines. (The Library District materials collection totals more than 540,000 items for reading, viewing, and listening.)

The library is located at 12901 N. La Montana Drive. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Many of the Library’s services can be accessed through the Maricopa County Library District’s Web site at www.mcldaz.org. Customers can search the library catalog, renew books, check the calendar and register for upcoming programs. They also may access the online reference service called 24x7 ASK! as well as more than 30 online databases.

Popular library features include a self-check system, one-stop service desk, special programs and events, story times for toddlers and preschool children, computer classes for beginners, “Music in the Library” series and the Library District’s online novel for kids.

For additional information, call the library at 602-652-3000.

Best-Sellers - The New York Times best-seller program is a popular service offered by the Library District. The Fountain Hills Branch receives at least 20 copies of each fiction title and seven copies each of nonfiction titles, along with multiple copies of other high-demand books.

Digital Collection – The library offers downloadable eBooks (Adobe and Mobipocket formats), downloadable audio books, and downloadable music, videos and audio books that customers can search, borrow, read and return over the Internet 24 hours a day. The Library District’s collection has more than 4,000 titles available.

eMail Book Club – Test drive a book. An easy and fun way to read—especially for busy people. Customers receive a chapter a day of a recent book in their email. It’s a great way to “sample” a variety of books. Sign up on the Library District Web site, www.mcldaz.org and click on the eMail Book Club icon.

Public Computers - Over 40 public computers are available with T-1 line Internet access at the library. Customers can access the Library’s catalog in English or Spanish, surf the Internet, open an e-mail account, and do word processing. The computers are installed with the Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher and PowerPoint) in addition to Internet Explorer. Wireless access is also available in the building to any library member.

Summer Reading Programs – The Library has four Summer Reading Programs in 2007 that will run from May 29 to July 28. “Baby Detectives” for babies and toddlers (infants to three years); “Get a Clue at Your Library” for children (ages four to 12); and “You Never Know” for teens (ages 13 to 18). Kids read for fun and great prizes, including a free book. Even adults can win prizes in the Adult Summer Reading Program.

Calendar of Events - Pick up a monthly Calendar of Events for a complete listing of programs, classes and events or check the library’s Web site calendar for complete program listings.

The Fred and Mary Jo Bryan Vocational Information Center - Located in the Fountain Hills Branch, the center was made possible by a bequest from Fred and Mary Jo Bryan to the Fountain Hills Rotary Club. The center's purpose is to provide all types of job-related resources in one location. The collection includes career guides, college and trade school information, study guides for standardized tests and resources for job hunting, resume writing and interviews. The Vocational Center also has three public access computers.

Library Staff - Library Manager Vicki Novak has been with the Maricopa County Library District for almost 15 years. The library has eight full-time staff members and eight part-time employees. Four of those staff members are librarians; two are library paraprofessionals; three are library assistants; four are library pages and there are three on-call staff members.

The Fountain Hills Library Association (Friends of the Library) – A volunteer organization that provides ongoing financial support to the library. This year they have provided funding for the “Music in the Library” program, the adult book club, the children’s science lab and additional equipment for the branch. The Library Association also sponsors the Summer Reading Program kick-off with a variety of programs and refreshments. The association’s financial support over the summer covers ongoing children’s programming, and makes it possible for the kids and teens who complete the summer reading program to receive a free book. They also run the Book for the Homebound program, providing library materials to customers who cannot get to the library due to physical illness or disability.

Residents can support the Library Association through membership fees, or by visiting the resale bookstore located in the lobby of the library. The store is staffed by volunteers and is open Monday through Saturday. The bookstore phone number is 602-652-3263. For additional information about the Library Association, visit its Web site at www.fhla.net or write to the Library Association at P.O. Box 17581, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269.