Collections

New July 2007

Library Home Page

Children's Collections

General Information

The library owns a grand total 49,131 titles (FY2006).  Manchester Library holdings breakdown into the following categories:

  Adult/Young Adult Children Total
Books 30,032 14,921 44,953
Periodical Subscriptionshttp 98 18 120
Audiocassettes 1,024 289 1,332
Compact Discs 1,094 111 1,205
CD-ROM 15 95 221
Multimedia Kits 4 48 52
Museum Passes     9
Book Club Kits 3 2 5
Total     47,554*
*The grand total includes each issue of a periodical subscription and each individual museum pass.

 

Overdrive Digital Audiobooks are available to Manchester residents with library cards in good standing.  You may download audiobook files anytime, from anywhere, to your windows computer, to burn to CD or transfer to a digital MP3 player.  (copyright permissions vary by title).  Follow the easy to use instructions on Overdrive's website.  Library staff will be able to give some assistance in the library or over the phone, 978-526-7711.
 
    
 
 

LibriVox - audiobooks from the public domain

 
Sign up for on-line language learning center.
First time you will need your library card number and PIN (last 4 digits of your phone number).

Project Gutenberg - the first producer of free electronic books (ebooks).

Adult Books-no limit (except in cases of high demand)

The library owns 13,711 adult and young adult fiction titles.  The non-fiction collection covers topics of general interest, local history, and current topics.  Books circulate for a three week period and one renewal is allowed if no one has requested the title.  Books can be renewed in person, over the telephone (978-526-7711), and via the Internet (log on to your account in the library catalog, IPAC).  Your library card number is needed to check out and renew books.  There is a book-drop located at the front of the building for hours when the library is closed.    

New fiction and non-fiction books are located in the Reading Room on each side of the arches.  

Click here to see a list of new material added to the library in the last month.

Click here to see a list of audio-visual material at the library.

 

Periodicals and Newspapers-limit of 6 magazines per patron

The current issue of a magazine remains on display.  Back issues may be checked out.

 

 

Children's Materials-

The children's collection includes 11,400 books, magazines, audiobooks, musical CD's, DVD & VHS movies, and CD-ROMs.  Children's materials circulate for 3 weeks (visual material for 1 week, no renewal) and may be renewed one time if no one has requested the title.  Children's books include fiction and non-fiction, for ages infants through middle school.  

Click here to see a list of new material added to the children's room in the last month.

Young Adult Materials-

The Young Adult collection is located in the Reference Room.  The collection includes books, magazines, audiobooks, video games and DVDs.  The new graphic novel collection is located on the balcony. 

 

Parents Shelf-

The parent's shelf is a small collection of books located in the children's room which facilitates parental guidance in encouraging popular reading and library use, allows the parental support of the formal and informal educational endeavors of their children, and provides community information related to childhood services and activities..  Look for the green dot on the spines of the books, located behind the Children's Librarian's desk.

 

 

Large Print Books

The library has a collection of large print books, as well as a deposit collection from the region which changes every 3 month.  Through interlibrary loan, patrons may request large print titles from other libraries.

Click here to see a list of Manchester's large print books

The Library maintains a deposit collection of large print books at the Plains and Newport Park, in the community halls.  These are rotated approximately every three months.

 

 

 

 

Best Sellers

bulletCirculate for 1 week
bulletLimit 3 with 1 renewal
bulletNo reserves will be taken on Best Sellers, nor will Best Sellers be used to fill library reserves

Best Sellers are new and popular books that stay in the library and circulate to local patrons only.  

 

 

Audio Books-limit of 6 titles per patron

The library has a large collection of audiobooks, both abridged and unabridged, fiction and non-fiction, on cassette and on CD.  In addition to our own collection the region provides the library with a supplemental collection of unabridged audiobooks which changes every 3 months.  Patrons may borrow additional titles through interlibrary loan.

Please do not return books on CD in the book-drop.

Click here to see a list of audio-visual material at the library.

 

 

Music CD's-limit of 6 titles per patron

Click here to see a list of audio-visual material at the library.

Please do not put CD's in book-drop.  There is a fee of $1.00 per CD in book-drop.

The library has over 1500 music CD's 
 

DVDs - limit 6 titles per patron.  May be checked out for 1 week, no renewals.

The Library has a large collection of fiction and non-fiction DVDs for adults, teens, and children.

VHS Tapes - limit 6 titles per patron.  May be checked out for 1 week, no renewals.

The Library has a small, donated collection of VHS tapes.

CD ROM's

The Library has both circulating and reference  CD-ROMs.  This small collection was made possible through two LSTA Grants, The Homework Center Grant and the Early Childhood Grant. 

 

 

 

 

 

Local History-Click Here to go to the Archives Room

The library has both circulating and reference material on Manchester-by-the-Sea and the Cape Ann area.  There is a series of Manchester Town Clerk records on mircofilm and local newspapers on microfilm.  

Link to on-line images of historical Manchester-by-the-Sea

Link to Scanned images of 1899 Atlas of Manchester

See Other Local Links

The library has limited resources for genealogical research.   Please contact the Manchester Historical Society for in-depth assistance with genealogy. (978-526-7230) 

 

 

Talking Books-

The library has sample catalogs for talking books for the blind and dyslexic from the Perkins School.  Patrons who own the required play back machine may borrow and return talking books through the library or directly through Perkins.  The library also has information and application forms to receive the special equipment needed to use talking books.

 

 

Museum Passes-Courtesy of the Friends of the Library

bulletPasses may be reserved in person, over the phone or via the internet.
bulletPasses may be checked out as early as 6 PM the day before use.  Be sure to bring your library card.
bulletPasses are due back by 9 AM the following morning (except for coupons).  Please use the bookdrop when the library is closed.
bulletLost pass: $20.
bulletOnly one pass per household may be borrowed at one time.

Click here to Reserve a Museum Pass

 

 

 

 

NetLibrary[Logo for Netlibrary]

NetLibrary is a collection of 3000 electronic books available over the Internet.  First time users should register through the Manchester Public Library's link in order to have free access to the collection.  Once you have a user-name and password, you can go to NetLibrary directly (www.netlibrary.com).  NetLibrary is available from the library's Internet stations where you can view books on line, and from your home computer where you can download an electronic book to read off-line.  Call the library at 978-526-7711 for further details.

 

News | Friends of the Library | Trustees | StaffArchives Room | Volunteers | Teen News
15 Union St.  Manchester, MA 01944    978-526-7711    manchester@mvlc.org