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El Paso Public Library Reference Desk (915) 543-5433
El Paso Public Library Reference Desk (915) 543-5433
3200 Copper5515 Robert Alva9600 Dyer501 N. Oregon620 E. 7th Street610 N. Yarbrough9321 Alameda1300 Hawkins1865 Dean Martin12480 Pebble Hills6701 s. Desert Blvd.554 Redd Road125 Belvidere
As a registered cardholder, you can borrow up to 30 non-reference resources and items as you need for free, except for a few limits on DVDs, revistas/magazines and kits. Most items are loaned for up to 3 weeks.
You can borrow: Books, Magazines, Music CDs, Movies and Videos
You are guaranteed to find something you absolutely have to have by browsing our online catalog.
Adobe® EPUB eBooks
Adobe® PDF eBooks
Mobipocket® eBooks
OverDrive WMA Audiobooks
OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks
OverDrive Music
OverDrive Video
To access these digital materials you need…
- A valid library card
- Internet access
- A computer or device that meets the system requirements for the type(s) of digital materials you wish to check out
- Free software for the computer or device on which you wish to use the materials available at this site.
How many items can I have out at a time? 3 items.
Can I return items early (before due date)?
E-books can be returned early. In Adobe Digital Editions, click on the book cover and choose ‘Return Item’. E-audio and videos cannot be returned early.
How long do I have the items? 14 days.
Can they be renewed?
No. But, if there is no hold on the item, you can check it out again.
How many holds can I have? 3 holds.
I live outside of the City of El Paso, can I get a library card and pin number to check out e-materials on Overdrive?
No. You must be part of the library’s service area.
Do I have to download Adobe Digital Editions and/or the Overdrive Media Console to get e-materials?
Yes. You must download the required software to properly load e-materials to your device.
Can I download items onto a library computer?
No. You must use your own computer or device.
Can I request items to be purchased?
You can, but there is no guarantee that the title is available through Overdrive.
reference@elpasotexas.gov
I saw this title available on Amazon as an e-book, why can’t you get it?
Publishers limit the number of titles that are available to Overdrive and to libraries. We are limited by what they are willing to license.
This page lets children search for the materials and information they need much easier than one the main Library catalog. It’s a fun and interactive way for children to use the Library catalog. Try it!
BookMyne makes it quick and easy to access the El Paso Public Library on the go! Search the library’s catalog, manage your account, and find suggested reading instantly with a supported mobile device.
Download BookMyne:
Apple
Android
BookMyne features:
Manage Your Account: Keep track of your library account and renew overdue items. View your checked-out items, holds, fines, and other account information.
Search the EPPL Catalog: Search for items by title, author, subject, or keyword and place holds on interesting items.
Find a Library Branch: Search for EPPL branches by name, address, or browse a list of nearby libraries.
Search by Barcode: Use your device’s camera to scan a book’s barcode and search for available copies at your library.
Find Book Recommendations: Search the catalog for friend-recommended titles (powered by Goodreads). Find New York Times bestsellers available at the El Paso Public Library.
El Paso Public Library's Border Heritage Center was formed in 1995 by combining three major collections - - Southwest, Genealogy, and Raza -- into one area of the Main Library.
The purpose of the Center is to enhance the quality of life for El Pasoans and others by collecting, preserving, and making available information about the history and culture of the residents of El Paso, Cuidad Juarez, and the surrounding region.
Activities, which promote understanding and appreciation of the region's history and culture, are integral to the role of the center.
As early as 1902, the El Paso Public Library began collecting and preserving materials on the history and culture of the Southwest (western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Chihuahua and Sonora).
The Southwest Collection, a growing research collection, is one of the most comprehensive of its kind.
It contains all important reference works and a wide selection of specialized monographs, as well as photographs, architectural drawings, manuscripts, clippings files, maps, periodicals, and other materials.
See the Guide to Archives of El Paso, Cuidad Juárez, & Mesilla Valley prepared by the Border Regional Archives Group (BRAG), for more resources available in the region.
The library's RAZA Collection had its beginnings during the Chicano movement of the 1970s. Much used both for research and for recreational reading, this collection continues to grow as the publication of new works by and about Mexican Americans continues to flourish.
The RAZA Collection covers all subject areas but is particularly strong in poetry and fiction.
The library intends that its genealogical collection reflects the history of all families who live along the U.S. - Mexico border. This collection provides sources for ancestral history whether from El Paso, Mexico, Spain, Africa, China, Ireland, or elsewhere.
We are currently in the process of making available online, photographs from the Otis A. Aultman Collection at the El Paso Public Library - Main (Downtown) Library
This is an ongoing project. Descriptions of the photographs will be made available in the near future.
This digitization project began June 2007 and will be an ongoing project for the library.
We have started with the yearbooks in our collection that are most fragile and are currently in the public domain. Yearbook Collection
We hope these images will provide our visitors valuable genealogical, biographical, and historical information.
EPPL’s Government Documents Section has everything that you’re looking for regarding tax, citizenship, Supreme Court or federal government information. They receive certain public documents from the Government Printing Office (GPO) for public use. If they don’t have it already, they can find it and get it for you. Everything from the recently released Nixon tapes to the latest congressional records is at your finger tips. Just call EPPL’s Government Documents Section.
The El Paso Public Library was designated a Federal Depository in 1906 and is part of the Federal Depository Library Program. It is a selective Federal Depository and receives 35% of everything GPO publishes. In 1966 it became a depository for Texas State Government Documents.
Government publications come in a wide variety of formats books, pamphlets, brochures, flyers, microfiche, magazines, maps, DVD’s and electronic formats. The Library receives material from every government department and agency that we select from the Item List. We have materials from the Department of Defense, including several series of military history sets, Department of the Interior, NASA, Department of Health and Human Services including access to the National Library of Medicine and PubMed database, and the Department of Homeland Security which includes Immigration resources.
Government Documents also has a Map Collection which will also have access to other map collections and the U.S. Geological Survey website, a Law Collection with the United States Code, U.S. Supreme Court opinions, and Texas Statutes. There is also access to Patents and Trademarks and Health Related Resources such as the National Library of Medicine. Starting this year there will also be a Dedicated Public Access Computer for Government Documents Research.
For more information visit the Government Documents Blog or call 915-543-5474.
All of EPPL’s meeting room facilities are available for public use. The rooms must be reserved ahead of time to insure availability. They are free of charge provided the use is not for a business endeavor. A nominal business rate will apply for business users. Meeting room use is subject to review by library administration. Please call the library you are interested in for more information.
Tuesdays/Martes
5 PM - 7 PM
All Branches
Thursdays/Jueves
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
All Branches
Wednesdays/Miercoles
5:30 PM - 7 PM
AND
Thursdays/Jueves
10 AM - 11 AM
Listos a Leer – (Niños)
Tuesdays, Wednesday and Saturdays
Martes, Miercoles y Sabado
11 AM
(915) 543-5494
Library users with visual and other impairments can make use of devices at the El Paso Public Library which enlarge computer screen text, speak the printed word, and show enlarged printed materials (books and magazines) on a special video screen.
The El Paso Main Library and designated Library branches have text-enlarging software (ZoomText) mounted on a workstation in the Computer Lab. The software can be used in conjunction with all of the applications in the Computer Lab, including Microsoft Office and our online catalog. Users with visual impairments will have priority usage of this computer, which sits on a fully adjustable table to accommodate wheelchair users.
This reading device converts text into spoken word
In addition, there is a reading machine, which converts type into speech. The machine is located in the Computer Lab next to the ZoomText workstation. Patrons can place printed material face down on the glass surface of the reading machine, press one button to scan the item and a second button to read it. The reading machine is equipped with headphones that are kept at the sign up desk.
Video Enlarging Machine
Another piece of equipment is a video enlarging machine. A patron can place any two-dimensional item on the bottom surface and it will be magnified up to 350X on an upright screen. The library encourages patrons with low vision to come to the Downtown Library to try our equipment.
Braille Printer
This Braille embosser printer allows patrons with low vision or no vision to select books, magazines, or documents and convert them to Braille for their reading enjoyment.
Assistance for those with limited use of their hands
The Head Mouse is for individuals who cannot use or have limited use of their hands when controlling a computer or alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) device. The Head Mouse translates natural movements of a user's head into directly proportional movements of the computer mouse pointer, so as the user moves their head the mouse pointer on the screen also moves.
The El Paso Library also provides Assistive Technology software. These Assistive Technology programs are located in the computer lab and designated branch libraries enhance the ability of disabled patrons in manipulating data on a computer. There is an array of pointing devices to help people with hand or arm disabilities. We have alternative keyboards to accommodate low vision or ergonomic problems. A push-button, adjustable height workstation allows a person in a large wheelchair to access our computers.
If you require special accommodations to participate in library programs, please contact the El Paso Library at 915-543-5433, two weeks prior to the program.
The following El Paso Libraries have Full ADA Workstations:
| The Main Library | 501 N. Oregon St. | 79901 |
| Armijo Library | 620 E. Seventh | 79901 |
| Doris Van Doren | 551 Redd Rd. | 79912 |
| Judge Edward S. Marquez. | 610 N. Yarbrough | 79915 |
| Richard Burgess | 9600 Dyer | 79924 |
Links
TexShare is a comprehensive research and learning tool provided free of charge through the El Paso Public Library. It offers access to hundreds of research databases in subjects such as health, genealogy, business, and education, with resources for adults, teens and children. Research your family tree, look up medical conditions, or get information for a school project...all in one place!
Please contact the library at 543-5433 for access instructions and user credentials provided free of charge. In order to access the TexShare Databases from a computer outside of the library, you must have a library card with the El Paso Public Library.
Go to http://www.libraryoftexas.org/texshare to log-in with the user credentials provided by El Paso Public Library.
Listed below are fulltext references and articles that are citable and maybe used for research papers and other academic and professional purposes.
Career Cruising offers a suite of online career guidance and planning tools designed for people of all ages. Using these tools, you can find the right career, explore education and training options, build your own portfolio, manage your school’s course selection process, or set up a career development network in your community.
Learning Express is an online interactive suite of tutorials and practice tests designed to help patrons, students and adult learners succeed on all academic and career paths. Patrons and students can get immediate feedback on subjects from all academic fronts as well as practice exams for SAT, ACT, ASVAB and many others. Learning Express is available free of charge through TexShare.
To access Learning Express you need to log-in to TexShare.
Go to http://www.libraryoftexas.org/texshare to log-in with the user credentials provided by El Paso Public Library.
The Chilton Library provides step-by-step instructions to automotive repairs of domestic and import vehicles. Updated monthly, this database includes not only repair and maintenance articles but also recall information for vehicles through the current model year. Along with those articles, videos and animations are provided on many topics. Close-up photos and images enhance understanding of the text, while wiring diagrams help explain system operations. Troubleshooting, diagnostic information and maintenance tables are also included in this database.
This online resource provided by:
Live Mocha
Livemocha is a online language learning service, with a user base of over 12 million individuals. It offers self-paced coursework and practice with native speakers.
Learn a language now...... English Español
Frequently Asked Questions....(pdf)
