The mission statement of the library is "Enriching lives by providing quality materials and services which fulfill educational, informational, cultural and recreational needs in a friendly, respectful and businesslike atmosphere." In keeping with our mission here is a list of materials and services that we provide.

Books

Books are a core part of any library and here at Martin Public Library, we carry over 38,000 books, periodicals, and other written materials. We like to think that we are at the crossroads of education and entertainment with over 20,000 fiction and 15,500 non-fiction books. Some of our patrons love to read but have difficulty with the small text of most books. For them, we carry over 1,000 large print books. In the genealogy area, we have an additional 1,000 books, microfilms, and obituary binders. We also have almost 300 Spanish holdings. All of this can be searched for in our online catalog here. 

If your love of literature cannot be satiated by our stacks then we always have R.E.A.D.S. As a member of R.E.A.D.S. our patrons are allowed to borrow up to 15 ebooks or audiobooks at a time using their library card. Those books can then be read or listened to either on their computer or on their smartphone/tablet. 

What is that? You cannot find what you are looking for here or on R.E.A.D.S.? You may still be in luck. We have access to almost every book in the state library system through our inter-library loan program. Just ask someone at our front desk to see if they can find a copy of the book you want somewhere else in the state through the ILL system. 

Children's Library

Our children's library is one of the coolest children's libraries in the state. With over 14,000 books, a story hour room, activity center, games, Early Literacy Stations and a slew of children's programs, it is the place to be for your growing child. Our books are organized by reading level and include Accelerated Reader dots on the spine for a quick and easy way to find out what grade level each book is appropriate for. 

Our Early Literacy Stations are touch screen computers with games and activities designed to teach kids how to read and write while keeping their attention by making it fun. While we do have six computers in the children's library that are connected to the internet, the ELS are self-contained activity centers and safe for kids of all ages. 

Other Media

A modern library does not only have books. We also have a collection of over 2,000 DVDs. In this collection, we have documentaries and other educational material from the History Channel, Discovery Channel, and other outlets. We also carry a large collection of popular movies all of which can be checked out using your library card. 

For those wanting to read books but just do not have much time we suggest you try out our collection of audiobooks. These audiobooks are great for listening to books while cleaning, working out, driving, or anywhere else where the ears and mind are available but the eyes are not. Cannot find an audiobook in our collection? We are also a participating member of R.E.A.D.S.  where you can check out thousands of additional audiobooks, using your library card, and play them on your phone, tablet, or computer. 

Genealogical Resources

The second floor of the library houses the "Genealogy Room" which has a collection of genealogical material. There are over 1,000 genealogical resources in the room including historical accounts, binders of obituaries, and microfilm of newspapers. We have a microfilm viewer/scanner in the room attached to one of the computers with the ability to print the materials that are scanned. 

We also are in partnership with Heritage Quest Online through the Tennessee Electronic Library. This service provides US Census information, Freedman's Bank records, periodicals, books, and even Revolutionary War documents that are all easily searchable. 

Computers

We have 16 public access computers available for checkout at any time on the second floor of the library. Six more are in the children's library and are intended for children to use for games and research purposes. Two more are in the Genealogy Room and are used for genealogical research and the scanning of microfilm. We also have three Early Literacy Stations in the children's library that are not connected to the internet. There is also a computer classroom with laptops that is available during classes and special classroom times. All of our computers have Microsoft Office 2016 installed and can be used for document creation, internet surfing, and printing for card-carrying patrons. For more information about the computer classroom and our policies please click here.

We also have free wireless internet available at the library.

Copy/Print/Fax And Notary Services

The library offers the ability to copy, print, fax, and scan to an email address. Prints and copies are $0.15 for black and white or $0.50 for color per page and larger prints (11"X17") are $0.30 and $1.00 per page respectively. Faxes may be sent for free if they are sent to a local or toll-free number. If the fax is a long distance call then we must charge $1.00 per 10 pages. To receive a fax costs $0.15 per page. Any document scanned to an email address is free. All copies, faxes, and prints can be requested and paid for at the front desk. If in need of Notary please contact the front desk. Notary service is free of charge.

Event Space Information

The library has an event space available for use. Please click on Martin Event Center for more information.