Otsego County Library

Plenty of services are packed into the Otsego County Library, which provides award-winning services to all residents from the central library in Gaylord and branches in Johannesburg and Vanderbilt. The library was recipient of the State Librarian’s Excellence Award for exemplary public service in 2003 and underwent a refreshing remodel in the spring of 2010.

Residents can access a collection of more than 81,000 books, videos, music CDs, audio books, large-print titles, government documents, newspapers and popular magazines, as well as a wide range of research materials. In late 2010, the library completed an enormous effort of digitizing the past 100 years of the Gaylord Herald Times and has made the readable images available to the public.

For the technologically savvy, the library has also recently opened up an eBook program for portable device users.

High-speed Internet access is available on public access computers along with standard office applications. All is free with a local library card. Books also can be reserved.

The main library is open seven days a week. From home, school or office, users may view their account; renew or reserve titles; and use databases that cannot be found free on the Internet, such as USA Business Data, Auto Repair Reference Center, Heritage Quest and eBooks from NetLibrary.

Research assistance, preschool story hours, summer reading clubs, class tours, computer classes and informational programs are among the many services the library staff offers. Faxing, laminating and copy services also are available for a small fee.

Library patrons may access more than 26 million items from libraries around the state through the Michigan Electronic Library Catalog. With an Otsego County Library card, community residents may order anything owned at participating public and university libraries and have it delivered at no cost to their hometown library.

• Otsego County Library, Headquarters: 700 S. Otsego Ave., Gaylord, 732-5841, fax 732-9401; Maureen Derenzy, director; hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.; e-mail: ocl@otsego.org, www.otsegocountylibrary.org

• Vanderbilt Branch: Corwith Township Hall, 8170 Mill St., Vanderbilt; 983-3600; Rita Tubbs, branch manager; hours: Monday, 3-7 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 1-5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Johannesburg Branch Library: Charlton Township Office Building, 10900 M-32 East, Johannesburg; 732-3928; Vickie Hoecherl, branch manager; hours: Monday, 2-6 p.m.; Tuesday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 1-5 p.m.