LIBRARY CARDS
Obtain your Black Gold Cooperative Library System Library Card.
The first one is FREE!
You must bring your library card to check out library materials. This card may be used at the following libraries and their branches: Santa Maria Public Library, Lompoc Public Library, Santa Barbara Public Library, San Luis Obispo City/County Library, Blanchard Public Library and Paso Robles Public Library.
Please report lost or stolen cards immediately! You are financially responsible for library materials checked out with your card. There is a $1.00 charge for replacement cards.
Adults must bring a valid government issued picture I.D and something showing their current address (if not on the picture I.D.) in order to apply for a card.
Children (under 18) must have a parent present to sign the library card application. Parents are responsible for children's fines and lost material charges.
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Apply online!
Once your application is processed you will be emailed your library barcode number and then you can access online databases and reserve materials. Please read the application form carefully to understand the restrictions and requirements for activation.
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BORROWING LIBRARY MATERIALS
Your library card is your key to borrowing books, audio books, DVDs, compact discs, videos etc. at Santa Maria Public Library. Just present your card and library materials to the staff at the circulation desk. The privacy of your transaction with the library is protected by California Government Code Section 6267.
Don't want to wait in line? You can also check out books yourself with our "express self check out system"!
You may be blocked from check out for excessive fines, overdue items, or other notations on your account. In this event, go to the Registration Desk.
You may renew books and other library materials twice if there are no holds on the items. You can also renew items using the online library catalog under the "view your own record" option, or by calling (800) 354-9660.
You are responsible for:
- Returning borrowed materials within the check out period or paying a fine.
- Returning materials except videos and rental books within the three week check out period.
- Returning rental DVD's within three days.
- Returning videos within seven days.
- Returning rental books within one week.
- Reimbursing the library for lost or damaged materials.
Parents or guardians are financially responsible for items checked out on cards of their children 17 years of age or younger.
MANGO ONLINE LANGUAGE LEARNING SYSTEM
The Santa Maria Public Library is pleased to announce that it now offers the Mango Languages online language-learning system to its patrons.
Mango is free for all library patrons with a library card, and offers a fast and convenient solution for our community's increasing language-learning needs. Each lesson combines real life situations and audio from native speakers with simple, clear instructions. The courses are presented with an appreciation for cultural nuance and real-world application that integrates components of vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and culture. Users learn actual conversation, breaking down complex conversational elements within an audio-visual framework that allows the user to draw important connections between pieces of information they have already learned.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
The Santa Maria Public Library has over 800 titles in its genealogy collection. We are especially strong in the area of Passenger Lists. In 2007 we added the Santa Maria Valley Genealogical Society's Collection to further enrich our holdings. The collection is housed in the northwest corner of the second floor past the Information desk. Our collection includes many genealogy subjects as well as several magazine titles.
While our collection is most valuable for experienced searchers, we have a variety of resources for beginners. Every Wednesday from 1pm-4pm a member of the Santa Maria Valley Genealogical Society is available to assist with your research. They are also available by appointment if needed, just stop by the Information desk on the second floor for more details. We can also provide you with free copies of pedigree charts and family record sheets to get you started.
Users can consult a special list of our holdings by subject which we have compiled as well as search the online public catalog. You can reserve items from other Black Gold libraries for a 50 cent fee. Items not available through Black Gold can be requested for $2.00 per item. We also request census microfilm and other circulating titles from the California State Library [Sutro] for $2.00 per reel or item.
There are many useful databases for genealogy searchers and we subscribe to:
ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION - (available only within the library)
Ancestry Library Edition is the largest online Genealogy Resource available. It contains a searchable database of books, photos, maps and census records, primarily from U.S., U.K., Canada and Germany. You can also locate birth, marriage and death records for the U.S. and U.K. not to mention military records back to the 1600s. This database also includes over 4 billion names and 500,000 family trees.
HERITAGE QUEST ONLINE
Heritage Quest Online offers an essential collection of genealogical information covering America since the late 1700s. Collections include census images from 1790 to 1930; 25,000 family and local history books; Revolutionary War records; Freedman's Bank Records; and the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) covering over 6,500 genealogical periodicals since 1800. Heritage Quest is available from home as well as the library. Library patrons can access the remote feed by inputting 22113 followed by their library card 14-digit barcode number for proper access.
Local History Sources
The Reference Department staff can search for obituaries (for individuals who died in Santa Maria) and local interest articles in the Santa Maria Times by following the guidelines below. We have the newspaper on microfilm dating back to 1882.
What do we need? We will accept either emails to libraryreference@ci.santa-maria.ca.us or a letter written to the Library address at 421 S. McClelland Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454, attn: Reference Department or faxed to us at: 805-928-8012. We require the following: 1) a return address to reply by mail or a fax number -- please include an email address if available; 2) a two week range of dates to search, but the exact date is always the most helpful; and 3) limiting searches to only three items at one time. Available staff will handle all requests on a first come, first served basis. There is no fee for this service.
The Library also collects many years of the local city directory, telephone books, and high school yearbooks. Please remember to bring in your library card if you would like to view a high school yearbook. Follow the procedure above for these inquires.
The Reference/Information Department includes a vast array of materials for your information needs.
We feature OPAC stations (Online Public Access Catalog) which allow access to the library catalog through several interfaces, as well as two downloadable audio services, Overdrive and Net Library. The OPAC stations also link to many online databases which run products such as encyclopedias; genealogical, biographical, medical and business sources; as well as newspaper and magazine indexes with full-text articles. We also have workstations with access to the Internet, all online databases found on the OPAC stations, and a full suite of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. We have workstations in our Career Center which have all the resources mentioned above, but are also dedicated to those who need to apply for jobs and fill out online applications. Two of our computer stations are ADA compliant and available for those who are visually or physically challenged.
Your search for library materials will usually begin with the Black Gold Online Public Access Catalog aka OPAC. Books, videos, DVDs, compact discs, book cassettes, and magazines available in all the public libraries within Santa Barbara and San Luis Counties can be found here, as can those materials in Blanchard Public Library in Santa Paula. (Materials found in the Ventura County Public libraries can be accessed by clicking on the Other Libraries link, then the Ventura link under the list of libraries).
There are many programs and services designed to assist working families in California. For information about these important resources visit www.weconnect.net.The website highlights programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), Golden State Advantage Cards, Lifeline Telephone Service, CARE for lower cost gas and electric, California's Low-Cost Auto Insurance, and College Savings Accounts. They provide information on job resources, education and training, money saving tips, coupons, and other resources to help you to achieve your dreams. This website is also available in Spanish at www.weconnect.net/SPANISH/
REFERENCE INFORMATION
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The Gale Group has several databases on a variety of subjects. You will need to type in your library card barcode to access these databases from home. The Gale databases include:
(Both of the above databases are provided for use by Santa Maria Public Library cardholders by the Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library)
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Other databases which you can access from the library or online from home are Mango, a language learning tool, WorldCat which provides access to the catalogs of many libraries throughout the United States and the world, and Novelist, a fiction database that allows you to search for additional titles based on level, subject, title or author and provides reviews, annotations, and much more. You can also access California Catalog in the library or from home.
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Access to these databases is FREE in the Reference Services Department.
Santa Maria Public Library's special collections include genealogy, travel, law books, jobs and career information, test books, college research books, car, motorcycle, and truck repair guides, small business resources, and song books.
Some important information is not listed in the OPAC. This includes government documents, pamphlets, telephone books, and microfilms. Library staff also maintains several in house databases such as a local history file consisting of 7,650 newspaper clippings covering the Santa Maria Valley and the Central Coast region, an obituary file providing access to almost 50,000 records and a local clubs and organizations file. If you can't find something, please ask at the Information Desk upstairs.
INTERNET SERVICES
Local Libraries
Other Library Resources
INTERLIBRARY LOAN
If you are unable to find an item in the Santa Maria Public Library we can borrow items from other public libraries in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties for a $1.00 fee.
Place Holds:
If the item you want is on loan to someone else, or not immediately available at your library, you may ask the reference staff to place a hold for you. You may place the hold yourself at the library OPAC or from your home computer via the Internet. You will need to have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and your library card number in order to place the hold yourself.
To place a hold on an item, follow these instructions:
- Click the "Request" button at the top of the screen for the title you wish reserve.
A SCREEN MESSAGE WILL APPEAR STATING THAT THERE IS A 50 CENT NON-REFUNDABLE FEE for the service, which you will pay when you pick up the item.
- Select the location where you want to pick up the item from the drop down menu.
- Type in your COMPLETE BARCODE NUMBER from your library card and press the tab key.
- Type in your PIN number at the prompt and press the tab key. (If you don't have a PIN just press return and the system will prompt you to create one, or click on PIN Instructions for assistance.)
- Click the "Submit" button
That's all there is to it.
Notification Options:
You will be notified when the item is available either by e-mail, surface mail, or telephone depending on which option you selected when you applied for your card, or by updating the information at the Library's Registration Desk. This service is available for both overdue notices and holds notification.
Interlibrary Loans from Outside of Black Gold:
If you need a book that is not available from one of the Black Gold member libraries, you may ask the Reference/Information staff to try to borrow the title from a library outside of the Black Gold System. We can search for it in libraries from all over the country. There is a charge of $2.00 per item, and this fee is payable upon making the request. If we are able to obtain the book for you, we will telephone you when it arrives. The lending periods for these books are often less than the other titles in our collection. Other restrictions required by the lending library may also apply.
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