About

Our mission is to provide quality resources with access to opportunities that excite the imagination therefore inspiring a lifetime of reading and learning.

The Hancock County Public Library District is a library system which includes two libraries and a bookmobile. The main library in Hawesville, the Lewisport Branch, and the bookmobile work together as three parts to our library system to serve the Hancock County community.

Library locations share the same budget, the same staff, and the same collection. In addition to there being two locations and a bookmobile, we also have access to materials system wide and materials can be returned to any location and we see that it gets to the correct “home library.” This is just one of the perks for our patrons who utilize our libraries.

Our Funding

  • 97% from the library tax portion of your county property tax bill
  • 3% from state aid (in 2020 -2021 we will receive no state aid)
  • 2% from fines, fees, and earned income

Hancock County Public Library  depends on the tax money to operate. Every year we see cost increases in book and mobile resource pricing, supplies, computer equipment / maintenance, furnishings, general building maintenance, and insurance –including building, worker’s compensation, and health. Our services to the county would be severely limited if we did not have the tax money.

Our Staff

We currently have six full-time staff and five part-time staff employed at the library. We use a rotation schedule so that both library locations and the bookmobile can be staffed appropriately. One staff member is assigned to the bookmobile.

We normally have staff meetings once a month (or as needed) and a staff development day each quarter. During staff development days the libraries are closed and we cover a variety of topics including customer service, trends in technology & the library world, writing procedures and policies, ironing out circulation issues, and attending workshops at other locations; all of which allow us to better serve our community of Hancock County.

Our Services

As the span of library services changes year to year, so must our range of services that we offer. Patrons once used a card catalog to find materials they wanted to check out, now patrons use the computer to access our online catalog. In this technology friendly world we are a part of, it is very important for libraries to be up to date in their offerings and to keep their community in touch with what is current. Some of the services we offer are listed below:

In-House

Downloadable books, videos, music for mobile devices; Free high speed internet access, online databases for Chilton’s Auto Repair, Price It: Antiques & Collectibles, Learn-a-Test; Universal class; a rotating collection of Large Print titles, a rotating collection of audio books, free computer instruction at both library locations, two active book clubs, year round programming for children ages birth thru 5, summer programming for ages birth thru 8th grade, a variety of programs for middle school and high school ages throughout the year, various family activities, and field trips by schools & clubs, individualized computer assistance as needed, genealogy research, 5 star quality customer service, and more!

Outreach

Bookmobile service, partnering with other community agencies for different events (ex. Back to School Bash, Camp Vastwood, Trail of Treats, Hancock County Health Coalition, Hancock County Early Childhood Council, HC Schools), Heartland Villa bi-monthly program, Storytime at daycares, preschools, headstart programs, and elementary schools, annual sponsor and presenter at the Chamber of Commerce Breakfast; Health Fair at Senior Center, city Christmas parades, booth at the county fair, and more.

We frequently partner with local agencies to provide opportunities to our county. We actively pursue new partners and new opportunities for our community that will engage, enlighten, and inspire.

If you haven’t visited either library or the bookmobile in a while, make a point to do that – soon! You’ll be glad you did!

As we look into the future of HCPL, we will strive to continue to provide quality resources, five star customer service, educated and well-informed staff, and a welcoming environment that will make you want to come back!