Howard County Library System
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Howard County Library System (HCLS) social media accounts are monitored by staff in order to promote Library activities and initiatives. HCLS welcomes engagement by the public on social media at any time. However, given the need to manage Library resources, content moderation and responses should only be expected during regular business hours. When engaging with the HCLS through social media, you agree to the following customer use policy. Comments and content posted to HCLS maintained social media sites are reviewed by staff. While content and comments will not be edited, HCLS reserves the right to remove user-generated content or comments when appropriate. Abusive, hateful, or slanderous comments or images to any person, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identification, organization, or nation. When interacting with other users, please be civil and follow the usage guidelines established by the applicable social networking service(s). Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, nudity, defamation, advertising or political campaigning is not allowed on HCLS social media pages. Such content may be removed.
“Trolling” or posting deliberately disruptive statements meant to hijack comment threads or throw discussions off-track. Comments with the main purpose(s) to sell a product or services, infringe on copyright or spam comments, such as the same comment posted repeatedly, may also be removed. All links posted as comments on the HCLS pages, posts or profiles may be deleted. Any information and/or comment(s) that could reasonably compromise the safety of a public official, employee or member of the general public is also subject to deletion. Any disclosure of information that is confidential by law or regulation may be deleted. Repeated violations of this social media policy may cause the author to be blocked from the HCLS’ social media profiles and pages.
10/04/2026
📚 Banned Books Week is Oct. 4–10!
At HCLS, we believe everyone has the right to read what they want and explore ideas that spark curiosity, conversation, and connection.
This week, we’re celebrating the freedom to read by highlighting books that have been challenged, along with other thought-provoking titles worth discovering. Whether you’re revisiting a favorite or finding your next great read, HCLS is here to help you choose your own adventure.
Explore our full list of suggested titles: https://bit.ly/4y0F6no
10/03/2026
🎬 What happens when books are challenged? Join us for a screening of the Emmy Award-winning documentary The Librarians, which follows librarians, educators and communities navigating the growing wave of book challenges across the country.
🍽️ Thank you for joining us in our tenth year of Longest Table! We had a beautiful celebration of community and conversation. Not even the weather could dampen our spirits!
10/02/2026
🎮 Game on! HCLS Central Branch is going all in for Game Fest, celebrating 50+ years of gaming with retro classics, modern games, indie developers, a gaming history exhibit, live music from the Baltimore Gamer Orchestra Symphony, and a panel on gaming’s past, present and future. Come press start, explore, and see what’s next!
No festival is complete without merch - grab yours at the link below. https://bit.ly/3TZTXAA
10/01/2026
✍️ Got a story in you? Join award-winning author Laura Shovan to explore what makes a great opening scene, then use a fun fiction prompt to start writing your own short story or novel. Bring a book with an opening that pulled you in, and leave with the beginning of a story to keep developing!
09/30/2026
🧪 Make along with us! Families can follow along as we create UV-reactive, glow-in-the-dark gelatin inspired by The Ultimate Science Cookbook for Kids. Watch, make, and discover more fun science experiments to try at home!
Make with Me! Glow-in-the-Dark Gelatin Promoting library materials and learning through "making." Includes...
09/30/2026
The Library is an invaluable, FREE resource for local entrepreneurs. Join an upcoming online session about the ins and outs of good contracts.
09/29/2026
📚 A library card opens the door to so much more than books! Explore HCLS’s e-books and audiobooks, streaming movies, digital magazines, research databases, online learning, makerspaces, book clubs and more. In the final days of National Library Card Sign-Up Month, celebrate everything your card makes possible. And next week, celebrate Banned Books Week with us. We're kicking things off with our Banned Books Read-In. Read a banned or challenged book, make a button featuring your favorite, and get a free audiobook to take home!
09/28/2026
🎨 What do you imagine the future could be? Teens ages 11–18, show us your vision of the future through creative writing or visual art. If you have been inspired by Nnedi Okorafor’s books and themes of overcoming adversity, personal growth and community.
Create a short story, poem, creative nonfiction piece, drawing, painting or mixed-media artwork. One branch winner will receive a signed book and be featured on HCLS social media.
Entries are due October 23. Submit your original work at your local HCLS branch!
09/27/2026
🍂📚 Fall into reading! As the days get shorter and cooler, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a great work of fiction. From magical worlds and family stories to mysteries and unforgettable characters, our curated collection has something for every kind of reader. Discover all of our adult fiction picks for fall and find your next great read: https://bit.ly/4iSfCVz
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Address
9411 Frederick Road
Ellicott City, MD
21042
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 8pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 8pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |
| Saturday | 9am - 5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm - 5pm |
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