We are open:

• Monday -Thursday 9:00am – 8:30pm
• Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Saturday 9:00am – 4:00pm
• Sunday – closed

Holidays hour and weather-related closures are posted on our website’s homepage www.waterloolibrary.org 

We have 2 drop boxes:

• 24-hour outdoor drop box on the east side of the building (the one with the large parking lot) near the staff entrance.  
• Indoor drop box at the circulation desk 

Some items, such as hotspots, telescopes, Launchpads and kits must be returned directly to the circulation desk to prevent damage. 

• Ages 0-7: Must remain within an adult caregiver’s line of sight.
• Ages 8-11: An adult must remain in the building unless the child is attending a scheduled program.
• Ages 12+: May use the library independently.

Please see our Unattended Child Policy for full details

Yes, Wi-Fi is free 24 hours a day in the building and parking lot.  No password is required.  You’ll  accept the user agreement the first time you connect.

No, you do not.  You can use a public computer without a library card.  

If you live within Waterloo city limits, bring:

• A valid photo ID
• One additional document showing your current Waterloo address

Examples: Utility bill, voter registration, insurance card, official mail, lease

Adults must apply in person.  Parents or legal guardians may obtain cards for children 0-17.

If you reside outside of the city limits, you may purchase a non-resident card.  Please contact the library regarding the current annual fee, which allows every member of the household to obtain a library card.  

Yes, replacement cards are $5.00 and will keep your same account number.

Your PIN number is the last 4 digits of your phone number.  

Yes, we offer temporary borrower cards for short-term stays up to 30 days.

Absolutely!  We offer library cards beginning at birth! 

Children ages 0-5 can enroll in our My First Library Card program, which includes:

• A special library card
• Kid-sized tote bag
• Stuffed animal
• Enrollment in our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program

Children ages 6-17 may also obtain their own library cards with a parent or legal guardian present.  

If your property tax bill lists “City of Waterloo” as a taxing district, you live within city limits (see the below example).

You can check your property tax bill on the Monroe County Property Tax Lookup or call us at 618-939-6232 and we’ll help you determine your status.

 https://propertytaxonline.org/Home/Disclaimer.aspx?c=67&n=Monroe

Because we are a municipal library, Morrison Talbott Library is funded primarily by Waterloo city property taxes.  If you live outside of the city limits, the State of Illinois requires municipal libraries to charge a non-resident fee if we agree to provide non-resident services.

The fee is calculated annually each July 1st according to Illinois State guidelines. Please call for the current rate.

Below is an example of a property tax bill for a residence outside of the city limits.  Notice that the City of Waterloo is not a taxing district.

Find more information from the Illinois State Library about non-resident library service here.

You may qualify under:

• Cards for Kids (for students eligible for free/reduced lunch; includes homeschooled students)
• Cards for Veterans (for qualifying disabled veterans)
• Waterloo CUSD#5 intergovernmental agreement (students and full-time staff)

Please contact us at 618-939-6232 or mtl@waterloolibrary.org for eligibility details.

Most items check out for 14 days.  Telescopes loan for 7 days.

We limit certain specialty items (such as Hotspots and Adventure Kits) to ensure availability.  If you need to borrow larger quantities, let us know.  We’re happy to work with you.

We ask that you only borrow the number of items you feel comfortable keeping safe.  

If you have a card from one of our neighboring libraries, they may enforce borrowing limits on your card that we cannot override.

Most MTL items may be renewed unless another patron has placed a hold. 

Similarly, if an item borrowed from another library satisfies a hold back at its “home” library, a renewal will be denied.  In both cases, we can place new holds to get you back into the queue for the item.

Yes!  You can do this in two different ways:

• Download the SHARE Mobile Library app
• Log into your library account through our website

Both options allow you to place holds, renew items and manage family accounts.

https://waterloolibrary.org/my-account/ to do those same tasks.

Sometimes, you may find that you are not allowed to place a hold or renew an item.

For holds, other libraries may restrict who can borrow an item.  For instance, a library may restrict borrowing to only their own patrons on a brand-new release for a 30-90 days. Or, items may be considered reference-only, non-circulating, or pickup at a specific location only.  

For renewals, if you are denied a renewal on an MTL-owned item, it’s because another MTL patron has a hold on that item.  If you are denied renewal on another library’s item, it may be because that item satisfies a hold back at the “home” library. 

Either way, give us a call at 618-939-6232 to see what we can do.  We will never override another library’s policy, but we can always give them a call to see if they will make an exception. 

You’ll receive notification by text or email (your preference).  Automated notices are sent out at 8am, 10am, 2pm and 6pm. 

If you place holds on items from another library, we receive courier delivery 5 days per week, Monday through Friday.  For MTL items, we pull our holds list from our shelves each morning and just before closing each evening.

Give us a call to make sure we have your correct email address and/or phone number.  If you aren’t receiving emails, check your SPAM folder.  You may need to mark the emails as safe or “not SPAM,” or save the library as a known contact.  If you aren’t receiving text messages, check your SPAM or unknown folder, then mark the number as safe or “known.” For iPhone users especially, you will need to save the phone number as a known number. Automated text messages are sent from MessageBee and the phone number used is 618-685-1008.

Items are held for 8 days.  After that, they return to the owning library.  

If you are planning a vacation, you can schedule delivery of your items for a future date when placing your hold. 

To be fair to other patrons and to honor other libraries’ policies, we can’t hold items past their unclaimed date BUT we can always place new holds for you.

We eliminated overdue fines in 2020! 

However, you will be charged the replacement cost for lost or damaged items.

Accounts with outstanding balances cannot be used until resolved. We cannot accept replacement items that you purchase from Amazon or elsewhere.

Not at all!  

In addition to our 48,000+ physical items, you can:

• Borrow from 500+ Illinois libraries through the Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS)
• Access thousands of digital items
• Request materials nationwide through OCLC

All at no cost to you.

Yes! Public computers are available on a first come, first serve basis.  They are free to use, and no library card is required.

Computers include internet access, Microsoft office, Google products and access to e-resources.  Files are erased nightly.  

Printing: 

• Black & white: $0.25 per page
• Color: $0.50 per page 

Photocopies:

• Black & white: $0.10 per page
• Color: $0.50 per page

Double-sided prints are considered two pages.

We accept cash, checks, and debit/credit cards.

Yes, you can print from your phone two ways:

• Connect directly to our mobile printer (small jobs)
• Email the document to mtl@waterloolibrary.org

We print documents upon your arrival. 

Yes!  Our fax number is 618-939-4974.

• Cost to Send: $1.00 first page, and $0.50 each additional page
• Cost to Receive: $0.25 per page.  

Call ahead to let us know if you are expecting to receive a fax.  

Our fax machine can only send single-sided pages.  If you have double-sided pages, photocopies of the back sides will need to be made prior to faxing.

Yes, Adults (18+) with a valid MTL library card may check out one hotspot every 30 days (from the date you return it).  

Hotspots are powered by the T-Mobile network and support up to 15 devices.  They are intended for short-term or emergency use. 

You can use:

• Libby
• CloudLibrary
• BookFlix (youth)
• LOTE-4-Kids

Visit our e-resources page for full details.

Some of our most-used services include:

• Public computers and Wi-Fi 
• Printing, photocopying & scanning
• Laminating
• Faxing
• Notary services
• Meeting rooms
• Stamps & office supplies
• Book Binding
• 3D printing & Cricut

No, books are just the beginning at our library!  

You can check out our Library of Things page for more information, but here are a few highlights:

Telescopes, microscopes, binoculars, Radon kits, yard games, Kindles, mobile hotspots, Launchpads, Early Literacy Kits, Adventure Kits, OSMOs, STEAM Kits, tools, cake pans, Playaways, audiobooks and much more!

We also offer 20+ online resources for streaming, learning, research and more!

Yes!  We offer a variety of programs for all ages, including:

• Little Movers (birth -2)
• StoryTime (3-5)
• Youth book clubs
• Teen events
• Adult book clubs
• Educational workshops
• Signature events such as Imagination Weekend

Visit our Youth and Adult Services pages or check our monthly calendar for current events.

Yes!  Our themed Summer Reading Program serves all ages!  We also offer a Winter Reading Program every winter.  

These programs offer a fun way for all ages to engage with the library by accomplishing reading goals and attending programs and events.  Stay connected via social media, newsletter or our website for updates.

Yes, we do!  Please call ahead at 618-939-6232 to confirm availability.  Do NOT sign documents prior to your arrival.  All signers must present a VALID photo ID.  There is no charge for our notary services.

Yes!  Proctoring must be scheduled in advance. Please see our Exam Proctoring Policy for more information.

We offer three community meeting rooms.  Rooms are available for free to charitable and civic organizations, and may be reserved by an adult (18+). Please see the Community Meeting Room Policy for more information, and give us a call at 618-939-6232 to reserve a room. 

The library can come to YOU!  We offer homebound delivery services to your doorstep if you are unable to visit the library due to a medical condition, illness or mobility issues.  We also visit local assisted living facilities.  Please see our Outreach Services page for more information or give us a call at 618-939-6232.

Thanks for thinking of us!  We often rely on volunteers to help with programs, organization and special projects. We do not accept walk-in volunteers.

You can find more information on volunteering here.   

We gratefully accept monetary donations to support programs, collections and special projects.  

You may donate securely online here, or mail donations to:

Morrison Talbott Library

215 Park Street

Waterloo, Illinois 62298

Please see our Gift and Book Donation Policy for more information.