PUBLIC LIBRARY

Children's Services

Storytime

Super Science Saturdays

Community Services

Fax Machine

We offer local and long distance fax service. Charges are $1.00 per page. The charges apply to both sending and receiving. We do not provide international faxing. Faxes may be sent from the Copy & Print Center during Library business hours. The fax number used is 817-788-1499.

General Education Diploma (GED)

The Haltom City Public Library is currently NOT hosting GED classes.

For other classes & testing sites (for Citizenship, ESL & GED classes) please call or visit the Tarrant Literacy Coalition at 817-402-7555, the Ft Worth ISD at 817-815-7750 or Birdville ISD at 817-547-5440.

Meeting Rooms

The public meeting rooms are primarily for the use of the Library for conferences, meetings, activities and library programs. Programs sponsored or co-sponsored by the library or other Haltom City departments take precedent over all other programs.

As a service to the community, we also make the meeting rooms available to other local institutions, organizations and groups of civic, cultural and educational nature and individual residents when the rooms are not scheduled for use by the library or other city department. Use of the meeting rooms by these groups or individuals is subject to the usage regulations and charges listed in the policy manual.

Have a special event in mind...rent a a space at the Haltom City Public Library. Rentals require a minimum of two (2) hours and full payment must be made no later than 14 days before the scheduled date that the reservation is for.

All reservations are subject to cancellation in those instances where the library or other city department requires the room for its purposes. In such cases, we will notify the applicant at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled use.

Organizations, groups or individuals who fail to comply with all policies and procedures of the library, who fail to pay assessed fees and charges, who damage equipment or furnishings, or who cause disturbances shall be ineligible for use of the facility in the future.

Call our administrative office at 817-222-7790, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday - Friday, for more information.

Haltom City Parks & Recreation also rents out rooms and park pavilions.

Notary Services

Fees: $6.00 for first signature and $1.00 for each additional signature.

The Haltom City Public Library can assist with notary service when the certified Notary Public is available. They are not attorneys and may not help patrons fill out legal forms or offer legal advice.

• Forms must be brought in unsigned and signed in the notary’s presence.Signers must be present for form to be notarized.
• Services are only available during the library’s hours of operation.
• Notary services are offered at the library’s discretion and are not a primary or overriding library responsibility.
• Patrons desiring notary services should call ahead 817-222-7786 to ensure a notary is available. Service cannot be guaranteed to patrons who do not call ahead.
• All individuals seeking notarization as well as any known witnesses must provide valid photoidentification issued by the United States government.The identification cannot be expired.

Acceptable forms of identification:

• US state issued photo ID such as a driver’s license
• United States passport
• US work visa
• State issued gun license
• US military ID

Unacceptable Identification documents:

• Social Security cards
• Birth certificates
• Credit cards
• The library is unable to notarize using credible witnesses
• IDs, visas, or passports from countries other than the United States

• Witnesses WILL NOT be provided by the library nor can witnesses be obtained from general library patrons.Witnesses must have personal knowledge of the individual requiring the notarization and witnesses must provide appropriate and valid photo identification.It is the signer’s job to produce witnesses should it be required in court later.
• Documents in languages other than English may not be notarized nor may a translator be used as notary and signer must be able to communicate directly.If the signer does not speak English they must go to a notary who speaks the same language.
• Services are not available for deeds, mortgages, wills, living wills, living trusts, codicils, or depositions.
• Public documents, including birth and death certificates and marriage licenses, may not be notarized.This is called a certified copy and must be obtained by the County Clerk’s Office.

***Our notaries reserve the right to refuse notarize any document for any reason.***

Proctoring

We proctor exams free of charge. However, we are unable to proctor exams that require constant observation. To ask questions or arrange an exam please contact Erica Gill, Kansas Terry, Lani Hahn or Christina Barton.

Reference

We can help you find information on home and car repair, directions to places, and more. We are trained in how to find and evaluate information so we can help you find useful information faster. We can also help you locate organizations that help with educational, legal, medical, tax, debt and other problems.

Tax Help

AARP provides income tax preparation assistance each year from February 1, through April 15. Assistance is by appointment only on Thursdays, from 12:00 to 4:00. We make appointments at the reference desk starting the last week of January.

Homebound Services

We provide deliveries of books, etc., to residents confined to their homes in a temporary or permanent capacity.

Please contact Librarian Alison Long to arrange homebound service.

Lending Services

The Haltom City Library lending services apply to books, audiobooks, magazines and movies.

Loan Periods

• All library materials (books, audiobooks, magazines and movies) may be checked out for three weeks.
• Any item may be renewed twice, unless another individual has placed a reserve on it. Either call the library at 817-222-7785 or go online. Many items are automatically renewed if they are eligible (there are no blocks or no reserves; two times only).

How to Get a Library Card

Haltom City residents and business owners qualify for a free library card when they show a photo ID and a proof of residency, such as a valid driver's license, DPS identification card, voter registration card, lease agreement, utility bill, or other identifying document showing a current address. Business owners must show proof of ownership. Cards for children ages 0-17 years require a parent’s or legal guardian’s signature in person. For more information, please phone the Circulation Desk at 817-222-7785.

*Please note, to determine if you are a City of Haltom City resident, conduct a simple property data search through the Tarrant Appraisal District. Haltom City residents will have HALTOM CITY listed as the city/taxing jurisdiction.

• The application for a new library card can be filed in person or by email. If you would like to sign up for a library card or renew an expired card online, please e-mail . You may also find a copy of the application below that can be downloaded, printed, filled out and taken into the library.
  • application (English)
  • application (Spanish)
  • application (Vietnamese)
• Non-residents living in one of the MetroShare cities may use their own city’s library card in Haltom City as well.
• People living outside of Haltom City or MetroShare cities may obtain a TexShare card from their home library. The TexShare Library Card program is a reciprocal borrowing card with participating libraries in Texas. Haltom City residents may obtain a TexShare card at the HC Public Library to use TexShare libraries, including Fort Worth.
• People living outside of Haltom City or the other MetroShare cities may apply for non-resident card (no charge at this time) by also presenting a valid ID and proof of residency.
• TexShare cards and non-resident cards may not be honored at MetroShare libraries.

Fines & Fees

All MetroShare libraries do not charge overdue fees. If you have materials overdue, your borrowing privileges will be suspended after 14 days. Your account will be charged a replacement cost for overdue items with a past due date of over 30 days. Once all fees have been paid and/or materials have been returned, your privileges will be reinstated. The Haltom City Public Library cannot accept payments for the other MetroShare libraries. Payments for Haltom City items can be made at the Haltom City Public Library.

Book Pick-up Window/Return Chutes

The drive through pick-up window (open during business hours only) allows patrons to pick-up reserved materials (books, movies, audios) without leaving the car. Please call first to arrange to pick-up items at the window. The telephone number is 817-222-7786. All library materials can be returned in the drive through book return at any time. Both pick-up and return can be found on the west side of the building.

MetroShare

The Haltom City Public Library is part of the MetroShare library agreement. Haltom City residents may use their Haltom City Library card to borrow from other MetroShare libraries as if they were residents of the other cities. The other MetroShare cities are:

• Burleson
• Benbrook
• Forest Hill
• Keller
• Richland Hills
• Watauga

We also receive deliveries from the MetroShare libraries five days a week. Books and movies are sent to us by request for our residents to pick up.

Interlibrary Loans

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service allowing us to request items for you from libraries nationwide. To find out what we can request, please checkWorldCator ask staff for assistance. There is no fee to request an itemvia ILL;however, some libraries do charge a lending fee.

Little Free Library

The Haltom City Public Library hosts a Little Free Library in Haltom City. This is in partnership with the Watauga Middle School (WMS). The structure was built by a friend of school librarian, Stephanie Roe, at WMS. Ms. Roe also wrote a grant for the initial collection of books. This is located behind the office of White Creek Mobile Home Community on Huddleston Street in Haltom City. This started May 15, 2018. These books are maintained/donated by the HC Public Library and readers in the community . HC Public Library supplies the library with mostly children's books.

In 2009, Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one room schoolhouse. It was a tribute to his mother; she was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it, so he built several more and gave them away." As of 2020 there are 100,000 registered free libraries all over the world.

Online Services

A variety of resources exist online for residents and patrons.

MetroShare

MetroShare is the combined catalog for Haltom City, Burleson, Fort Worth, Keller, Richland Hills, and Watauga. Books and movies found in our catalog may be transferred, upon request, to any library in the MetroShare system for resident cardholders to pick up at no charge.

WorldCat - The World Catalog

WorldCat is a combined catalog for the entire world. Participating libraries will, at our request, send books and movies to Haltom City for our cardholders to pick up. Photocopies of newspaper and magazine articles can also be delivered when the issue and page numbers are identified.

Texas State Library Databases (TexShare Databases)

Direct access to the Texas State Library Databases is now available for current Haltom City Public Library card holders.

Texas State Library Databases provide access to reliable and authoritative information in varying fields of interest such as genealogy & history, business resources, homework & education, health & medicine, science & technology, books & literature and many more. Various databases are offered with Spanish language content such as EBSCO host en español, Economia y Negocios, Fuente Academica, and MedicLatina.

Reference Solutions

Reference Solutions is the premier source of information for business and consumer reference and research. Reference Solutions includes:

• U.S. Businesses – Data for more than 45 million businesses includes company name, location (address and geo-location coordinates), industries, size (sales volume and number of employees), year established, names of owners and executives, and more
• U.S. Historical Businesses – Historical data for over 198 million business back to 2003
• U.S. Jobs / Internships – Custom search for over 2.5 million job postings
• U.S. New Businesses – 50,000 new businesses are added each week
• U.S. Healthcare – Search for more than 1.2 million doctors and dentists
• U.S. Standard White Pages – Search for over 150 million residents
• U.S. Consumers / Lifestyles – Search over 271 million individuals for market research and to find friends and relatives
• U.S New Movers / Homeowners – Over 300,000 movers and over 100,000 new homeowners are added each week

Genealogy & History Resources

• FamilySearch - Discover your family’s story through historical records.
• Texas State Library & Archives Commission - Genealogy Resources Includes vital statistics indexes, city directories, county records, printed family and county histories, a variety of Texas government records, federal census schedules and more.
• University of North Texas Libraries Portal to Texas History - Gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas.

Overdrive - North Texas Libraries on the Go

Titles from OverDrive-powered sites can be enjoyed at your computer plus a wide variety of devices.

DMV Practice Driving Test

The questions on the practice tests are based on the official DPS manuals and resemble those on the official knowledge test.

Printing Services

We charge 10¢ per page for black and white printing and 50¢ per page for color. We also sell CDs for $1.00 each, flash drives for $6.50 and earbuds for $2.00.

Wireless Printing

You can print wirelessly from all mobile devices, including laptops, tablets and smartphones. Submit print jobs from home or in the library either as an email attachment or uploaded to the web portal. Black and white copies are $0.10 a page. Color copies are $0.50 a page. Paying with a credit or debit card requires a $1.00 minimum charge. Charges over $10 require an additional $2.50 fee to use a credit card.

Method 1 - Send As Email Attachment

Login to your email account and send/forward an email with the document to be printed:

Black and White:

Color:

Only the attachment will be printed. This will send your print job to the Self Service Print Station located by the public computers in the library.

Method 2: Upload To Web Portal

• Go to: https://www.printeron.net/haltom/city
• Select either the black and white printer or the color printer
• Enter your email address
• Select document: If printing a document from your computer: click Browse and locate file.
• Click the green print button. This will send your print job to the Print Station located by the public computers in the library.

Retrieving Your Prints at the Print Station

• At the Print Station in the library, click Release a Print Job and enter your email address
• Select the print job(s) you wish to print and click Print
• A window will pop up the total cost of the print job(s
• Add money to coinbox, located next to the Kiosk. Click Pay from Vending Device. The coinbox takes Nickels, Dimes, Quarters, $1 bills and $5 bills. See the desk if you are paying with a credit card.
• 5. The job(s) will then be released to the printer.

Public Computers

Public computers with internet access and Microsoft Office are available free of charge.

Limited assistance is available, but must be balanced with the needs of our other customers.

We charge 10¢ per page for black and white printing and 50¢ per page for color. We also sell CDs for $1.00 each, flash drives for $6.50 and earbuds for $2.00.

Free wireless Internet access is available for mobile computing. Printing is not available for wireless computers, but files may be transferred to printing computers by CD, floppy disk, or flash drive. Copyright, child protection, and other laws must be followed.

The computers shut down 15 minutes before closing.

Wi-Fi Hotspots

Wi-Fi hotspots enable the internet to come home with you! Connect up to 10 devices to one hotspot. The Franklin R910 Mobile Hotspot gives you a wireless connection, virtually anywhere. Simply connect wirelessly to your device & you can browse the internet with up to 4G LTE speeds. With the bigger battery, you can stay connected for up to 12 hours.

Available to Haltom City residents. To request a hotspot, place a hold via the Library Catalog or visit the Library Services Desk.

Place a Hold