Stanislaus County Library

No-Contact Holds Pick-up & Materials Returns

Libraries are offering no-contact pick-up of materials on hold. Customers can place holds online or call ahead to reserve items. Once holds are available, customers come to the library and call the number posted. Library staff will check out items and deliver them to an outdoor location (usually a table or book cart) for pick up. Book drops are closed, but materials can be returned to a book cart outside the library during modified service hours.

Reading Recommendations

Need help finding your next great read? Fill out the Book Recommendations form and we will provide personalized recommendations for you.

Register to Vote

You need to re-register if:

Deadline to register is October 19, 2020. Register Online.

Introducing Transparent Language Online

The library is now offering a new online language learning program. Transparent Language Online offers a comprehensive language-learning program. With this flexible program, you can quickly and easily learn new languages using a wide variety of courses and activities. Explore the available languages and then start learning here.

Empire Library Building Project

Construction is underway on a new library in Empire. The new library will be located next to the Regional Water Safety Center/Empire Pool, with completion expected in early 2021. Visit our Empire Library Building Project page for more information and to enjoy a video of the virtual groundbreaking.

Library Virtual Escape Rooms

Join us for a virtual escape room, also known as a Panic or Breakout Room. In this fun activity, you’ll discover clues and solve puzzles to unlock the answers. Enjoy this Banned Books Week themed Virtual Escape Room.

Enjoy these free online resources

While libraries are closed, please enjoy our digital materials, including eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and streaming video on the eResources tab, where you’ll find links to resources from CloudLibrary, Hoopla, RBDigital, and more. In addition, we’ve compiled other free resources available online, including at-home learning resources for students and parents, free eBooks, eAudiobooks, online story presentations and author talks, as well as virtual tours of famous museums, zoos and aquariums. Visit our More Free Online Resources page and come back often as we add more resources you can use.

Apply for a Digital Services Library Card here.

Library Wi-Fi

Free library Wi-Fi is now available outside the Modesto Library. Daily access is available 8 am to 8 pm in the library parking lot 7 days a week.

Stanislaus County Library Responds to COVID-19

The Stanislaus County Library holds the health and well-being of our users and community as our highest priority. Following the guidance of public health officials, Stanislaus County Libraries and book returns are temporarily closed to the public. Learn more about the library’s response to COVID-19 (coronavirus). For local information on coronavirus disease including the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency (SCHSA) and other official sources, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Online Payments

You can pay your library fines and fees online through our secure site.

Access the online payment site here, or select "Make a Payment" from the "Useful Sites" menu on the right, or from the "About Us" drop down menu above. Log in with your library card number and PIN. You will be able to select which fines or fees you would like to pay. There is a minimum payment of $1.00 required for online payments.

Friends of the Modesto Library Summer Book Fair - May 22-September 4, 2020

The Friends of the Modesto Library is having a virtual book fair this summer. It is listed as Stanislaus County Free Library. You don't need to “sign in,” just click “no thanks” to get started shopping. Shipping is still FREE with book-only orders of $25 or more, with books sent to the location of your choice. The shipping location can be your house, a niece/nephew, aunt/uncle, grandchild, or friend/neighbor.

Turlock Library Expansion

The Turlock Library is growing!

The Turlock Library will be closed for expansion and renovation beginning March 16, 2020. Completion of the expanded Turlock Library is expected in Spring 2021. The expansion project will increase the size of the library by 60%, with larger spaces for children’s and teen collections, a community room, a makerspace and outdoor spaces for library programming. Please visit the Turlock Library Expansion & Renovation page for additional information, construction photos, and more.

As a preventative measure, and following guidance from organizations such as the CDC and the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency, the City of Turlock is suspending all activity at the Turlock Senior Center. This includes planned library services, specifically holds pick-up and weekly Story Times.

During the closure, we invite you to visit and pick up holds from our nearby libraries.

• Denair Library, 4801 Kersey Road, Denair, CA 95316 (5 miles)
• Keyes Library, 4420 Maud Avenue, Keyes, CA 95328 (6 miles)
• Hughson Library, 2412 A Third Street, Hughson, CA 95326 (8 miles)
• Ceres Library, 2250 Magnolia Street, Ceres, CA 95307 (10 miles)

You can find a complete list of our locations and hours here.

If you would like to change the pick-up location of hold you have placed that has not yet been filled, please visit our website or Library mobile app to access your account and make the change online.

To change the pick-up location of a hold that has already been filled, please call the Modesto Library Circulation Department at 209-558-7808 for assistance.

Cover to Cover Reading Program

The In-N-Out Cover to Cover reading program, originally scheduled for March 7 - April 18, was postponed due to COVID-19. The program has been cancelled for the remainder of the year. A new Cover to Cover experience is in the works for Spring 2021. Look for more information in the new year!

Didn't find what you were looking for in our catalog? Try Zip Books! Zip Books is a service for customers to request books and audiobooks that are not in the Stanislaus County Library's catalog. The item is delivered to your home for a three-week checkout, free of charge, using Amazon Prime. More information and request form.

Free online access to the New York Times from 1851 to present, including newspaper content, multimedia, videos, Spanish and Mandarin versions of nytimes.com, and more. To activate your subscription, register with the nytimes.com or log in with an existing account. Detailed access instructions here.

Sign up to receive news about library programs and services delivered straight to your inbox!

You can now subscribe to the library’s monthly calendar of events, as well as periodic email blasts from your local library. These emails come in an engaging format that are easily accessible from a computer or mobile device.

Sign up here

Stanislaus Memory Project

You can be a part of preserving history! The purpose of the Stanislaus Memory Project is to collect, digitize and preserve photos, videos, audio, documents, and objects of historical significance, in order to preserve the unique history of Stanislaus County. The project was initiated by collecting materials related to Graffiti, cruising, and the local car culture. In the future, materials related to other aspects of the county’s history will be added. The public is invited to submit photos or other materials for possible inclusion in this collection of Stanislaus County history. Please contact the Library if you wish to contribute to the Memory Project or have an idea for a future collection.

Access your "my Social Security" account, view and apply for benefits, access forms, and more.

Learn about happenings at Stanislaus County Libraries in the 2017-2018 Annual Report available here.

Not sure where to start your family history research?

Visit the Modesto Library. Members of the Genealogical Society of Stanislaus County offer free, personalized assistance in the Special Collections Room every Monday from 10 am - 3 pm. Also available by appointment. For more information, please call (209) 558-7814.

Affordable Care Act Information

Want to learn more about the Affordable Care Act? Here are some useful resources:

• Covered California
• InfoPeople Affordable Care Act Resources

Toll free help line:

• 800-300-1506 (English)
• 800-300-0213 (Spanish)

Help is also available in 200 other languages

The California Report Card

Here's your opportunity to grade California on various issues facing our state. Anyone can participate by taking a few minutes to assign grades to the state of California on timely issues including healthcare, education, and immigrant rights. Participants are then invited to enter an online "Cafe" to propose issues for future versions of the platform.

The California Report Card works on all screens and is designed for mobile phones held vertically. To participate, please visit California Report Card

About Us

Who We Are

We are a system of 13 libraries located in communities throughout Stanislaus County. Stanislaus County Library engages all members of the community and offers access to information, knowledge, and the tools for innovation and personal development.

What We Do

• We provide information and reading material in print and electronic formats.
• We provide special programs for children and teens, designed to enhance learning and encourage a lifelong love of reading.
• We provide presentations on various topics of interest for adults.
• We offer a passport application acceptance service.
• We offer language learning materials.

What We Offer

The Stanislaus County Library provides books, books on CD, magazines, newspapers, premium content databases, and a mobile app, as well as downloadable digital content such as movies, music, TV shows, magazines, audiobooks, and language learning software. The library also offers a robust line-up of programs and presentations that enhance learning at all levels.