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.

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.

Summer Reading Challenge 2020

June 1 - August 1, 2020

Our Summer Reading Challenge is for everyone! Information and reading logs for babies, kids, teens, and adults are available here.

Acceso en español a información y a los registros para todas las edades se encuentra aquí.

Act!vated Story Theatre: July 1 - 14, 2020

Act!vated Story Theatre presents "The Tortoise and the Hare". Drink tea and play tennis with the overconfident tap dancing Hare as you root for the slow and steady Tortoise to win the race. Followed by the Polynesian tale of "Hina Moves to the Moon". Come along for the ride as Hina makes her own way in the world and gets a special invitation from her friend the Moon.

The Act!vated Actors pull out all of the stops to engage, delight and educate young audiences. Hula, ukulele, acrobatic tricks, spinning poi balls, silly costumes, comedy and American Sign Language bring these stories to life before a giant over-sized book. Multiple camera angles bring you up on stage and into the action. You will also get to peek behind the curtain to see what happens backstage during a live show.

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 the Narnia 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.

ABCmouse is interactive, computer based curriculum designed to help children (ages 2-8) build a strong foundation for future academic success. ABCmouse is 100% educational, with more than 9,000 learning activities across all major subject areas—reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music. ABCmouse, as well as Adventure Academy (ages 8-14) and ReadingIQ (ages 2-12), is available free, through a partnership with Age of Learning, while our libraries are closed due to COVID-19. For a free access code, register here through June 30, 2020. Access will continue through August 31, 2020 for those who have activated their account by June 30.

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).

TumbleBooks now available

TumbleBooks’ databases are easy to use, and feature unlimited streaming access from home. You can read as many books as you want, when you want, and on any device. There are no check-outs, holds, or bulky downloads. Books are available instantly. TumbleBooks is offered to library customers through a special arrangement through August 31, 2020.

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.

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 Extended

Keep reading - new end date to be determined

Children aged 4 to 12 are invited to participate in In-N-Out Burger’s Cover to Cover program. For every five books a child reads, they will earn a certificate for a free hamburger or cheeseburger from In-N-Out Burger. Pick up a reading log at any Stanislaus County community library. Each participant can receive up to three certificates while supplies last.

Originally scheduled for March 7 - April 18, the Cover to Cover reading program has been extended in light of temporary library closures. Reading log pick up and a new end date will be determined after the library reopens.

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.